


Dust’s Mystery

by Brook1



Category: Warriors- Erin Hunter
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24625891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brook1/pseuds/Brook1
Summary: A group of Clan outcasts come to the Tribe of Rushing Water, weak and in dire need of help. Dust that Clouds Dream knows what it’s like to be mocked and distrusted, so she accepts their presence, but soon after they arrive and regain strength, cats start turning up dead. Dust and her mate Light that Breaks Shadows are determined to solve the murders- but they are putting themselves and their family in grave danger.Disclaimer: I own only the characters in the story, barring mentions of book characters. Erin Hunter owns the Warriors series and the traditions and ideas that go with it.
Relationships: OC/OC
Comments: 11
Kudos: 2





	1. Allegiances

**Tribe of Rushing Water**

**Healer:** Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller)- silver tabby tom with golden eyes

**Prey-Hunters:** Wind when Night Falls (Wind)- lean gray tom with black underbelly, long claws, and yellow eyes

Fall of Shining Stone (Shine)- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Mist on Tall Rock (Mist)- dark gray tabby cat with yellow eyes, large ears, and long tail

_To-be, Moon that Illuminates Heather_

Owl that Flies Silently (Owl)- black-and-white she-cat

Cloud When Sun Shines with Flames (Cloud)- ginger tom

_To-be, Dappled Shadows on Leaf_

Creek that Runs Swiftly (Creek)- blue-gray tom

_To-be, Swift Breeze that Carries Spider_

Raindrops Splashing on Pool (Rain)- tortoiseshell she-cat, missing hind foot

Mouse Scampering Over Moss (Mouse)- brown-and-gray tom

Lightning that Makes Fire (Lightning)- ginger tabby tom

Hail when Wind Howls (Hail)- white she-cat, deaf

River where Minnows Swim Swiftly (River)- glossy-furred gray-and-white she-cat, formerly RiverClan

**Cave-Guards:** Claws of Snarling Wolf (Claw)- large dark brown tom with amber eyes

_To-be, Stream Running Through Stones_

Dive of Screeching Eagle (Dive)- ginger tom

Cry that Pierces the Day (Cry)- calico tom, blind

Dawn of Cloudless Morning (Dawn)- beautiful red she-cat, twisted jaw

_To-be, Feather Balancing on Leaf_

Song that Calms Storms (Song)- gray she-cat

Light that Breaks Shadows (Light)- yellow-and-black she-cat with soft fur and green eyes

_To-be, Lark Flying over Clouds_

Cliff Looming over Valley (Cliff)- spiky-furred dark gray tabby tom

Thrush who Sings During Blizzard (Thrush)- white tom, missing half of tail

**To-bes:** Feather Balancing on Leaf (Feather)- fluffy pale ginger she-cat, cave-guard

Moon that Illuminates Heather (Moon)- beautiful creamy silver-and-black she-cat with purple eyes, pray-hunter

Stream Running Through Stones (Stream)- silver tom, cave-guard

Lark Flying over Clouds (Lark)- dark brown she-cat, cave-guard

Dappled Shadows on Leaf (Dapple)- dappled pale brown tom, prey-hunter

Swift Breeze that Carries Spider (Swift)- long-legged black cat with green eyes, prey-hunter

**Kit-Mothers:** Shadows Falling over Bush (Shadow)- large, very thick-furred black she-cat, cave-guard, mother to Midnight when Rabbits Run (Midnight, black tom) and Fire Blazing Through Ivy (Fire, ginger she-kit), Dive’s kits

Dust that Clouds Dream (Dust)- brown-and-white tabby she-cat with short fur, yellow eyes, large ears, and bent tail, prey-hunter, expecting Light’s kits

**Elders:** Vine that Grows on Rock (Vine)- gray tabby tom

Wren Singing at Dawn (Wren)- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Yew that Blooms on Bush (Yew)- spiky furred silvery-gray cat with black markings, brown underbelly, and silver eyes

Maple Shading Nervous Lark (Maple)- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Other Cats**

Quailclaw- gray tom with black ears and green eyes, formerly ThunderClan’s deputy

Gorsewhisker- sleek dark brown tabby tom with golden eyes, white underbelly, and long teeth, formerly SkyClan

Larchpelt- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes, formerly SkyClan

Bushpaw- pale brown tabby tom with dark yellow eyes, born in the mountains

Elmpaw- dark brown she-cat with blue eyes, born in the mountains

Foxear- black-and-white tom with amber eyes, formerly WindClan 

Duskflare- blue-eyed pale ginger (with darker flecks) tom, formerly WindClan

Gustfang- white tom with green eyes, formerly RiverClan


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning...

_The mountains loomed over a small group of thin, desperate cats. Their leader, a dark brown tabby tom, looked very worried._ He kept his golden eyes on his mate, a pale gray she-cat, who was carrying their four kits. Following behind was a freckled ginger tom, a black-eared tom, a ginger tom, a white tom, a black-and-white and white-and-gray she-cat. 

“We need to hunt.” The black-eared tom pointed out the obvious. “We should stop for the night, it’s getting dark.”

“There’s a cave,” the leader meowed commandingly. “Larchpelt, Foxpaw, take the kits and get to shelter. Duskpaw, help them. Hollykit, don’t stray from your mother!”

“Why?” a thin dark ginger she-kit complained.

“Because it’s dangerous to wander right now. You can wander all you want, like Duskpaw, Foxpaw, Gustpaw, and Glistenpaw, when you’re older,” Larchpelt gently rebuked her kit. “Follow Thrushkit’s lead, will you? Elmkit, I see you!”

Eventually, all four kits and both queens were settled somewhat comfortably in the small cave. The apprentices and black-eared tom went off to try to catch the prey that had eluded them for the most part, with little hope of any success.

The group of cats was from the Clans’ lake territories. They had been labeled as codebreakers by the paranoid leader of ThunderClan and been forced to leave their homes. Gorsewhisker had been the SkyClan deputy and had appointed himself as leader of the group, naming Quailclaw, a senior ThunderClan warrior, as his second-in-command. The group was on a quest to find shelter with the fabled Tribe of Rushing Water in the mountains. The journey had already taken two moons because Larchpelt had given birth days after they had begun and required a half moon of rest. No cat had died so far, but the kits were quickly weakening and the older cats were becoming skeletal.

“Why is there no food? There are birds! I saw a rabbit yesterday!” Hollykit wailed. She was the loudest of the litter, but also one of the weakest. 

“We don’t know how to catch these birds, Hollykit,” Larchpelt said gently. “Now, why don’t you rest? It’s been a long walk. See if I have any milk left...”

Gorsewhisker stared outside, watching snowflakes fall. “Blasted snow!” He hissed. “We should have stayed and asked for forgiveness. I would take humiliation over starving to death!”

“There was no forgiveness to be had. We did what was necessary and it is Badgerstar’s fault for not understanding.” Larchpelt ran her tail gently over the kits, her eyes hard and steady. “The Tribe is our best hope. Here, we can start again.”

“You’re right, of course, but we just need to find them.” Gorsewhisker glanced out at the snow again. “Let’s just wait here and hope that the rest come back with at least some food.”

Duskpaw, a pale ginger tom, came back an hour later, with soaking wet fur and wide eyes. “We think that we saw a patrol! But Gustpaw was too hasty and tried to jump across a stream! He fell in and Glistenpaw followed and now they’re both in trouble!” 

Gorsewhisker groaned. “We will come. If there is a patrol, we must be getting close to the Tribe’s territory!”

It took a bit for the little family to reach the patrol. Gustpaw was shivering badly and crouched under a somewhat clear boulder, watching as his companions tried to pull his sister out of the rushing, swollen stream. 

Quailclaw, the black-eared former deputy of ThunderClan, was holding out a stick for Glistenpaw to grab onto. “It’s freezing!” The apprentice wailed.

“Take the s-stick and you can warm up in the c-c-cave, Glistenpaw!” Gustpaw called. Foxpaw and Duskpaw let out a chorus of agreement.

“Oh! Water!” Hollykit squealed. “I’m so thirsty, Mama! I want to swim!”

“Yeah, I agree!” Thrushkit chimed in. Elmkit and Bushkit were silent, trying to keep as warm as possible. Larchpelt was crouching over her kits, using her legs, stomach and tail to protect them from the falling snow.

“Glistenpaw, get back here and we can figure out a safe way across!” Gorsewhisker told the she-cat. “Hollykit, Thrushkit, absolutely not. That water is very cold and dangerous and Glistenpaw is about to get out, _right_?”

Glistenpaw was holding onto a rock, fighting the current that threatened to drag her away. She looked at Quailclaw’s stick and took a leap of faith, latching onto it with her front paws and sinking her claws in securely. “All right!” She yowled over the sound of rushing water. “Bring me in!”

That was when Hollykit and Thrushkit made a break for it, darting past their father and running right into Quailclaw’s feet. The tom lost his balance, accidentally letting go of the stick as he fell. Gorsewhisker raced forward and Foxpaw reached out for Thrushkit’s tail, but he and Hollykit had already jumped into the stream. Three shrill shrieks sounded as the current carried the young cats away, taking them out of sight quickly.

“No- no!” Larchpelt wailed, staring at her kits’ retreating forms in grief and disbelief. “Get them, Gorsewhisker, come on! Don’t you dare _move_ , you two!” She snapped at Elmkit and Bushkit, who were whimpering with loss beneath her. 

“Glistenpaw! Swim!” Gustpaw howled. “You’re RiverClan, you were born to- to...” His cries dissolved into sobs. Shocked, Foxpaw and Duskpaw went to support their friend. 

Quailclaw’s eyes were dark with guilt. “Gorsewhisker, I am so sorry.”

“It... it’s not...” the brown tabby was in shock, his ears down. After a moment, he became angry and turned on the former ThunderClan deputy. “You should have stopped them! You murdered my kits!”

“Gorsewhisker! He couldn’t have done anything,” Larchpelt admonished. “It was- it was the kits’ fault. They knocked Quailclaw over and killed Glistenpaw.”

“How could you say that? Mama!” Elmkit cried.

“It’s true,” Gustpaw snarled. “Glistenpaw would have gotten to shore and we all would have been fine if not for Hollykit and Thrushkit!”

“They hadn’t drank in a day. All they wanted was some water and some fun,” Larchpelt said brokenly. “If anything, this is my fault. I’m their mother.”

“And we still have two left,” Gorsewhisker told his mate. “This is a horrible tragedy. But you can’t blame kits for wanting a drink of water. Let’s- let’s just get away from here. Regroup.”

The group walked in silence back to the cave. They spent a miserable night, then headed out to try to find the Tribe the next day. No cat celebrated when they came upon the beginning of territory that was clearly more prey-filled, with rabbits in groups of four or five at a time and bird nests within a cat’s reach. The Clan cats would survive, but the deaths of Glistenpaw, Thrushkit, and Hollykit would hang over them like a dark cloud. One thing they could all agree on was that finding the Tribe was vital. It would be a long four moons, but they would eventually reach the edge of the Tribe of Rushing Water’s territory...


	3. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tribe before the newcomers arrive.

_It was a beautiful, sunny, cool day in the mountains. Most of the Tribe of Rushing Water, however, were not outside,_ for they were resting in the cave behind a waterfall that they called home. Their Healer, a silver tabby tom called Stoneteller, was checking on the kit-mothers and kits. A cave-guard called Song, had three rambunctious kits that were ready to be to-be’s. Another queen, Shadow, had two four-moon-old kits, and the third, Dust, had just moved into the nursery half a moon before, expecting her first litter. 

“Song, your three will have their ceremony now,” Stoneteller meowed. “You may move into your old nest tonight. Yours look good, Shadow. Dust, you have less than a moon before you give birth. I will go gather the Tribe.” He waited until all eight cats had left his den before following. Shadow’s litter was sleepy, so she decided to let them nap in their nest, padding away.

“Dust, please groom Lark,” a relieved-looking Song requested. “I cannot wait to get back to my duties. I love my kits, but still.”

“I feel you. Mine aren’t even born- sit still, Lark!- and I want to get back to it,” Dust replied, managing to talk between licks. “Feel the nice mountain air in my fur...” She let the squiggling Lark scamper off to Stoneteller’s Callstone. “Your kits are very cute, I think I’ve told you that.”

“A pawful. You look to be having a big litter- my stomach was half as swollen when I had a moon to go!” Song smiled at Dust’s little groan of annoyance. “You’ll do great, don’t worry.”

“Tribe of Rushing Water, please gather by me!” Stoneteller called. “We have two ceremonies to perform today. For the past five moons, an outsider has been training with us. She has proven to be an excellent member of our Tribe, and has earned a name and full status as a prey-hunter. Glistenpaw, you are now called River where Minnows Swim Swiftly.”

“River! River!” A few cats cheered. All of the cats liked the young outsider, who had been willing to give up her Clan life morals and training completely to become a Tribe cat. She had been found near the waterfall with the bodies of two kits, half-drowned, babbling about more outsiders. A patrol had been sent out but had not found River’s companions. 

“Good, good, congratulations. Lark, Dapple, and Swift are six moons old. Swift and Dapple, you are prey-hunter to-bes, Cloud and Creek will train you. Lark, you will be a cave-guard to-be. Light will be a good trainer for you.”

Dust slipped forward, greeting her mate. Lark bounced impatiently from foot to foot, unnoticed for the moment. “I’m so proud of you, Light!” The tabby queen purred. “Your first to-be!”

“I’m excited. How long until the kits come? Soon?” Green eyes sparkled as Light talked about her coming litter.

“Under a moon, Stoneteller said,” Lark broke in. “Let’s go _train_. Teach me!”

“Okay, okay,” Light purred, clearly very happy. She led her new to-be away. Dust decided to talk to her brother, Claw, who was resting from a scratch he had gotten from an eagle the day before in his nest. His dedicated mate Wind was with him. 

“Hello, brother,” the expectant kit-mother greeted cheerfully. “You’re looking better! Stoneteller is a great Healer. Wind, Rain said that you’re to join her, Moon, and Hail on a hunting patrol. I can watch over Claw.”

“Okay, make sure he doesn’t do anything unwise,” Wind smiled a bit. “Like _attacking an eagle_!”

“It was trying to get at Feather!” Claw protested, looking annoyed. “She’s a moon and a half away from finishing her training, I couldn’t have let it just take her away. Besides, I’m going to be fine. Stop worrying, both of you!”

“Go, you’re holding them up,” Dust urged more gently, amused. “I’ll go too, he’s not a kit anymore, however much he acts like one. First, though, I just wanted to say that my kits are coming in a moon. Bye!” She laughed at the sound Claw made; a mixture of indignation and congratulations. 

Out in the cave, Dust watched Light pad off with her To-be. Usually, a cat so young would never get a To-be, but Light was special. She had the wider, heavier build of a Cave-guard, but had been trained to be the next Stoneteller. The Tribe of Endless Hunting had chosen her as a kit; as a result, the quiet, unassuming Dust was constantly overshadowed or underestimated by the Tribe. She had few friends; many more rivals. Light was a pined-after mate option, certainly, and her choice had shocked many. 

Mist padded over, catching their sister staring. “Hey, Dust. Pining after your long-lost mate?”

“Ha ha,” Dust snarked. “No, just thinking. Anyway, what’s up with you?”

“I’m tired. And you’re _pregnant_ ,” Mist’s playful blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “How many kits, do you think?”

“At least four, Light guesses, maybe even six. I don’t really... want that many, but I can’t help it. Is there any prey? I haven’t eaten much over the past few days.”

“Not your eating problem again, you have kits now! You’re going to get fat anyway, so _eat_.” There was real concern in Mist’s voice now. In the past, Dust had struggled with guilt if she ate “too much,” meaning more than half a mouse per two days. It had taken a mother’s intuition to realize that this was worse than just pickiness, and despite all reassurances from Dust, Wren had talked to Stoneteller and it had gotten better from there. 

“It’s pregnancy. I simply wasn’t hungry,” Dust snapped dryly, fuming a bit. She forced her fur down. “Sorry. I’m never this testy! The last time I lost my temper... it must have been when we were to-bes, and Howl was bullying Claw for liking Wind. I attacked them, I remember. I do wish that we could have made peace.” Howl of Fierce Lion had been a beautiful golden tabby who had recklessly attacked an eagle a half a moon before finishing training, and gotten carried away. 

“She was quite foolish and definitely a bully. Bravery and beauty can only go so far in life.” Mist flicked their tail over the kit-mother’s shoulder. “Anyway, yes, there is plenty of prey. There’s still some of that eagle from yesterday left, I’ll get you a wing.”

Mist trotted over to the prey pile and began to claw at the connection between the eagle’s wing and body (what was left of it). Owl walked over with a frown on her face. “I hope you’re not taking that all for yourself, Mist.”

“Oh, no. This is for Dust and the rest of the nursery can share whatever’s left.”

Owl glanced over at Dust, who was watching the exchange intently by the nursery. “Well, make sure she shares. After you give the wing to Dust, you and Dive will go on a border patrol with me.”

“Of course she’ll share. I will be back soon.” Mist and Dust toted the wing into the nursery, where Fire and Midnight were watching with hungry eyes. 

“Okay, kits, this is a great time for a lesson on sharing!” Shadow said brightly. “Dust and I are going to split up the wing among all of us. You kits are going to get a small piece each, and Dust and I will eat the rest. I will give Dust a bigger portion, since she is pregnant and needs more fuel. This is fair. Understand?”

Dust was tempted to insist that the other kit-mother got more, but figured that it would ruin the point of the lesson. Besides, Mist was staring pointedly at her. She dipped her head gratefully at Shadow. “I agree, but it’s still nice to say thank you. I am grateful for the gesture.”

“I don’t think you’re pregnant,” Fire told Dust matter-of-factly. Her mother hissed a warning, but the kit let the statement stand.

“Oh really? Why do you think that?” Dust settled into her nest, shifting her bent tail over her stomach. 

“Light is female! I heard Stoneteller say that a she-cat can’t get another she-cat pregnant!” Midnight chimed in.

“That’s right. Wind is the blood father of our kits, but we’ll raise them.” Dust twitched her ears at the kits. “Now, are you going to eat your food?” 


	4. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and Dust meet the newcomers and are concerned with a few of them.

Out on patrol with her new to-be, Light was only half paying attention to the scents around her, focusing mostly on Lark’s questions. Cave-guards had to know the territory because they functioned as border guards and did the majority of the fighting, if ever that became necessary. Lark was already showing a protective streak and the beginnings of a heavier build, ideal for cave-guarding. She wanted to know the basics of the territory and the details of a cave-guard’s job. Shadow had spoken to her about it so she knew the basics. 

“We’re going to break the tour off here, because the terrain gets dangerous with crags and cracks past here,” Light informed her to-be when they reached a large pile of fallen rocks. “It’s not a place that many cats go, as there’s not enough prey to justify the danger. River fell into one of those cracks with two kits and was found almost dead at the waterfall. The kits, unfortunately, died. So it’s not a place that I suggest going.”

Lark’s eyes darkened at the story. “I’ll stay away from it. Is there anywhere else you need to show me?”

Light was about to reply when she spotted a group of dark figures coming from behind the fallen rocks. “Lark, get behind me.”

It soon became clear that the untrained she-cat could easily hold her own against the intruders. They made a pathetic group, stumbling against each other, and the Tribe cats could see all of their ribs. The lead cat was a dark brown tabby with dulled eyes that Light thought would be a stunning gold if he were healthy. He led the group a few rabbitlengths away from the Tribe patrol before speaking. “Are you from the Tribe of Rushing Water?”

“We are,” Light said cautiously. “Are you Clan cats?”

“Yes- how did you know?” This was a black-eared tom. 

“We took in a former Clan cat a few moons ago. You all match her descriptions. My name is Light that Breaks Shadows- Light for short- and this is my to-be Lark Flying over Clouds.” Light knew that she had given too much information, and changed her tone to be a little more formal in response. “Are you looking for sanctuary?”

“Correct. We have been traveling without much food for moons and are requesting that you take us in until we heal and, if we prove ourselves, eventually join your Tribe.” The leader dipped his head. 

“You will have to talk to Stoneteller about your long-term future in the Tribe, but you can certainly stay for a time.” Light gestured with her tail for the Clan cats to follow. “The cave is not far. Sorry, Lark, we’ll finish our territory tour tomorrow.”

The leader, Gorsewhisker, introduced his mate Larchpelt and two kits Elmpaw and Bushpaw, who were apparently six moons old but were tiny and looked very young. Foxear, Duskflare, and Gustfang were younger and seemed to be the strongest of the group. The black-eared tom was called Quailclaw.

Larchpelt was visibly stumbling and Light eventually offered a shoulder for support, which the she-cat took despite Gorsewhisker’s glare.

Thrush was guarding the cave and rushed over to the newcomers, eyeing them with a mixture of alarm and pity. “Light? Who are these cats and why did you bring them here?”

“They’re refugees from the Clans, maybe River’s group, and I brought them here because they need medical attention and nourishment.” Light hissed slightly at her Tribemate, who ducked his head in apology.

“Of course they need help. I’ll get Stoneteller.” A few minutes later, Stoneteller had invited the newcomers into his den and told Light to alert the Tribe to what was going on. 

Dust was lying by the nursery, batting a mossball for Shadow’s kits with a distracted air. She, like the rest of the Tribe, were staring at where the Clan cats had disappeared into their leader’s den. Light stood on Callrock, not even needing to call out to gather cats. 

“As you all have noticed, there are a group of outsiders in the cave. They are from the Clans by the lake and are quite weak at the moment, so will be staying with us for the near future. Stoneteller is attending to them right now. It is our job to be welcoming and help as much as we can. This includes not staring, grumbling at the extra food they will require, or crowding them. Which cats are willing to act as a welcoming group? Only a few of you, please, and I’ll ask the kit-mother to welcome Larchpelt, the kit-mother of the group, and her kits, who are to-be age. Any volunteers?”

Mist, Lightning, and Song stepped forward. The rest of the Tribe slowly broke into groups, gravitating to the sides of the cave. Larchpelt and her kits appeared from Stoneteller’s den, looking unsure and lost, and Shadow made her way over to them.

“Greetings!” Shadow said. “My name is Shadows Falling over Bush, and I go by Shadow. Would you like to come over to the nursery? You’ll be staying there for now.”

The Clan queen nodded. Her daughter protested, mewing loudly. “But we’re not kits, we’re apprentices!”

“Just come with the nice she-cat,” Larchpelt told her kit. “Thank you for your generosity, Shadow. I’m Larchpelt, and these two are Bushpaw and Elmpaw.”

Dust sat by the entrance of the nursery, and when the apprentices spotted her belly, they squeaked in fear and hid behind their mother. 

“What’s wrong with that cat? She’s so fat and her tail’s broken!” Dust’s eyes filled with offense at the young cat’s cry. 

“Nothing’s wrong with her,” Larchpelt said reproachfully. “She’s so big because all of her kits are in her belly. Do you remember when I told you how you were born? I am so sorry, they’ve never seen a pregnant cat before.”

Dust nodded, covering her hurt quickly. “That’s all right. I’m Dust that Clouds Dream, Dust for short. I was born with my tail like this, it isn’t broken.”

Light called Fire and Midnight to break up the situation, and the tension lessened. It was obvious after that Dust was making more of an effort to be sociable and friendly, even offering to give the newcomers a cave tour. 

“That would be wonderful, Dust,” Larchpelt said. “If I may ask... can we start with the prey pile? We haven’t eaten in a long time, you see.”

“Oh, of course!” Shadow leapt to her feet. “I didn’t even think of that. I’ll go grab you something. How about you take them to the washing pool, Dust? My kits are over there. Tell them that they need to be nice to Elmpaw and Bushpaw.”

Dust smiled at the apprentices, who hadn’t spoken for a bit. “You can ask me questions if you like.”

Both Elmpaw and Bushpaw were quite mature for their age. Everything was clearly new to them, but they were calm and asked relevant questions. They also apologized profusely for their earlier rudeness. Dust was saved from having to reply when Midnight and Fire took notice of the newcomers, bounding over and immediately starting a lively conversation. They seemed more curious than scared, which was more than Dust could say for some Tribe members. 

River had spotted her brother among the group and pulled him to a private spot, looking thrilled to see him. The four other toms, however, weren’t getting along well with their hosts, especially Lightning. Dust couldn’t hear what they were arguing about but it didn’t seem pleasant. Light dashed over, stepping in between Lightning and Gorsewhisker. The scene calmed down after her intervention.

“I hope that Gorsewhisker isn’t causing too much trouble,” Larchpelt told Light when the she-cat came back across the cave. “We’ve been in such a desperate situation recently, and he’s been under a lot of pressure as the leader of our little group.”

“I think this will all calm down in a few days. You just arrived so suddenly,” Light replied. “Lightning mentioned that if you all join the Tribe, you will have to change your names, and Gorsewhisker objected.”

“His name is a mix of his parents’, whom he loved very much,” Larchpelt explained. Dust got the feeling that she was well-versed in excuses for her mate’s behavior. Shadow came over with two rabbits and there was silence as the newcomers ate. Larchpelt made sure that Elmpaw and Bushpaw didn’t stuff themselves before turning to Dust and Light.

“So, I assume that you two are... together?” She asked carefully. 

“Yes, for several moons now,” Light mewed happily. “We decided that we wanted kits and Dust volunteered to carry them.”

Larchpelt dipped her head awkwardly. “Well, ah... I’ve never actually met mates of the same gender before. I mean, Quailclaw was banished because the leader, Birdstar, found out he’s attracted to toms, but he’s never actually had a mate, so...”

“Well, it’s a pretty normal matehood,” Dust said smoothly. “If you have more questions, feel free to ask. There were plenty of reactions like yours in the Tribe when we first became mates.”

Dust and Light took a moment that evening to talk privately. “I don’t like Gorsewhisker,” the Stoneteller-to-be said quietly. “He’s not just angry. There’s a layer of ferocity to him that doesn’t bode well. Also, why would Larchpelt just give private information about Quailclaw away like that?”

“She’s trying very hard to be polite. The kits are legitimate, they’re wonderful, but I don’t trust Larchpelt. I’ll keep an eye on her, maybe get to know Gorsewhisker. We should try to connect with Quailclaw. If what Larchpelt said is true, he needs the support of cats like him.” Dust yawned widely, getting to her feet with difficulty. “Let’s see what happens over the next few moons. We shouldn’t make judgments too fast.” The mates parted that night with the promise to watch for anything unusual.


	5. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dust and Light take a walk.

Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker didn’t do anything suspicious over the next few days. They mostly ate and slept along with the rest of the newcomers, and regained relative strength rather quickly. Stoneteller allowed Light to check up on Elmpaw, Duskflare, and Quailclaw daily in his place.

“So, are you the deputy?” Quailclaw asked on his second check-up. “You seem to share leadership duties with Stoneteller.”

Light paused her mashing of herbs for a moment. “I’m not like a deputy in the way you were, from what you’ve explained. I’m being trained to be the next leader and that means that I need to take on some responsibility, but I don’t hold any special title. Cats do tend to listen to me despite my youth.”

“That’s interesting. I have so much to learn about the Tribe. For example, I know that your ancestors are the Tribe of Endless Hunting, but I want to call your to-bes apprentices.”

“Both terms are appropriate, but to-be is the official title,” Light said mildly. “Feel free to ask me questions. Dust, too, though she can be a little prickly sometimes. She does know a lot about the Tribe, probably more than me.”

“So, you two are... mates?” Quailclaw asked tentatively. 

Light nodded. “Yes. We’ve been together for about fifteen moons. It was hard to find acceptance and some cats are still weird about it, but we manage.”

“That sounds nice. To be able to be together, not that some cats aren’t accepting,” Quailclaw rushed. “I was with a tom in ThunderClan. Long story short, Firshade died and Shalestar- the leader- found out about us from my reaction to his death. SkyClan’s leader Badgerstar was obsessed with banishing cats that broke the Warrior code, our honor system, and Shalestar told him that I had broken it. I was banished along with the others.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Light said softly as she applied a poultice to a healing wound. They were in a corner of Stoneteller’s massive cave den that he used to connect to the Tribe of Endless Hunting. “Thank you for being so open. I appreciate that you’re willing to share that with a complete stranger.”

“Well, I bet Dust wouldn’t love you telling me that she’s prickly,” Quailclaw deflected with a purr. 

After the check-ups, Stoneteller called Light over. “How are your patients?”

“Starting to heal, Duskflare in particular. I think he sneaked a little prey for himself while hunting alone these past few moons,” the she-cat replied. “Not that a few bites would have made too much of a difference. I’m worried that Elmpaw hasn’t developed enough. She’s the same age as Lark but is half the size.”

“I agree. Those two have missed out on some growing and will probably be affected health-wise because of it. All of them will, they’ve been starving for six moons.”

“I am worried about Gorsewhisker. His mate and kits seem pretty calm, but he has a really nasty temper. Duskflare- who seems disoriented, but that’s to be expected- said that he’s been like that since before they were banished.”

“Why would a leader banish them, especially young cats and a pregnant kit-mother? I know that Quailclaw’s leader was simply not accepting.”

“I haven’t gotten a straight answer out of my patients other than Quailclaw,” Light shrugged. “My guess is that Duskflare went off on his own and did something reckless, and his leader didn’t like it. Must have been pretty extreme. None of them know why Gorsewhisker and Larchpelt were banished, not even their daughter.”

“We will have to find out. If they feel the need to hide the reason they had to leave from even their traveling companions, it must be major.” Stonteller dipped his paw in a silvery pool. “I will see if the Tribe of Endless Hunting has any advice for me. In the meantime, continue to act normal and befriend Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker. Tell Dust to try to get close to Larchpelt in particular.”

“I will certainly pass that on.” Light nodded at Stoneteller and left the den, feeling a need to take a walk in the open air. She convinced her mate to come with her.

“I apologize if I’m slow,” Dust said at the beginning of the walk. “The kits are a little cumbersome.”

“Lark thinks that every outing needs to be a hard run, so this is a nice change of pace.” Light’s tail flicked in happiness at the mention of her to-be. “I just feel like life is working out for me right now. I have a wonderful mate who has so nicely offered to carry our offspring, and my to-be is bright and eager to learn. I am so lucky!”

Dust nodded, thinking about how much growth Light had shown since kithood. She had been chosen as the next Stoneteller at birth, and as a consequence had always been treated somewhat reverently by the majority of the Tribe. Growing up, Dust had felt jealous of the unnecessary attention showered upon Light, who had let the praise get to her head as a to-be. It was only as a Cave Guard that the stunning she-cat had come back to reality and become less conceited. She and Dust had danced around each other for a bit before becoming mates, shocking the Tribe and bringing the shy Dust into focus.

Dust had never been particularly popular and faced harsh criticism from Tribe members who thought that she had tricked Light into caring for her and just wanted attention. The rumors had mostly gone away, but they had made both she-cats more careful about how they expressed themselves. 

Claw and Wind had been together since they were to-bes and had provided unwavering support, which Dust especially appreciated. She would forever be grateful for their advice, listening skills, and trustworthiness. 

Meanwhile, Light was still talking about how well her life was going. Dust glanced at her mate, slightly amused. “I get the point. Now you’re starting to sound conceited.”

“It’s hard not to be,” Light admitted. “The Tribe treats me like a second Stoneteller already! I’m getting used to being afforded respect without doing much to earn it. That’s heady, Dust.”

“I... well, I don’t understand, but I sympathize,” Dust said honestly. “It would be great if some of that respect could come to me, but it feels like the more popular you are, the less popular I am.”

“And that is totally unfair!” Light seethed. “Not only are you a wonderful prey-hunter, you’re one of the better fighters in the Tribe. If cats choose not to see that, that’s their loss.”

“It’s mine too, because then I don’t get treated well,” Dust countered. She shook her head. “Anyway, I didn’t come out here to argue with you. I wanted to be outside.”

“I would suggest that you don’t do too many more of these.” Light’s tone had shifted to healer mode. “Your stomach is quite big and the kits could be hurt if you scrape it on anything.”

Dust shrugged. “Fair enough. Are walks inside the cave fine?”

“Not intense, but sure,” Light purred. “It won’t be long now. Besides, you need to be keeping an eye on our newcomers.” 

Their walk was cut short by a wail from the cave. Lark burst out, dripping wet from the waterfall but also bleeding from the shoulder. Swift raced after her, calling out in a worried and sorrowful voice. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

“What is going on here? Both of you, stop running and explain!” Dust snarled. Lark skidded to a halt, then was knocked over when Swift didn’t stop in time. The other to-bes had come from the cave by then, as well as Elmpaw and Bushpaw. The siblings glared at each other and began to fight. Dust did notice that Swift’s claws weren’t out. 

“Stop!” Light said, grabbing Lark’s ruff and lifting her to-be off of Swift. “Do as I say! Now, explain yourselves.”

Neither young cat said anything in reply, so Moon, an older prey-hunter training with Mist, stepped forward. “Lark wanted to learn hunting moves, so Swift offered to teach her. They decided to use her as the prey, however, and ended up scratching her. Lark ran away after that.”

“I’m disappointed in both of you. Go to Stoneteller and you’re on elder duties for two moons. Go! Now! Thank you, Moon.” Light glared at Lark and Swift, who bowed their heads and slunk away. Bushpaw walked up to Dust, confusion on his face. 

“Does this happen a lot?”

“No. And it won’t occur again,” Dust told him firmly. “Have you thought about what kind of Tribe cat you would like to be? If you can stay, of course.”

“I want to be like you,” Bushpaw replied, his mood improved with the subject change. “You hunt, right? I’d rather be in the open air than sit around guarding the cave all day.”

Light let out an injured snort. “That is _not_ what cave-guards do. I would suggest speaking to the to-bes about what each job entails. Although there is very little running and chasing involved in cave-guarding, if that’s what you want to do.”

Bushpaw nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you. I’ll consider your advice.” He wandered back over to Elmpaw and joined the other young cats as they went back into the cave. 

“What was that about? Swift knows better than to use their claws in a hunting crouch! The point is to crush the animal, not make it bleed.” Dust shook her head. “That is quite enough excitement for me. I will go take a nap.”

“I need to lead a patrol... but a nap sounds wonderful.” Light licked her mate’s ear lovingly. “Have fun!” Once Dust was gone, she took a moment to reflect on what had just occurred. “That is so unusual... anyway. I can’t dwell on it for too long.” So she simply marked it as the first odd happening post-newcomers.


	6. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dust gives birth.

The next moon passed too slowly for Dust’s liking. The newcomers settled in a little more, and some got Tribe names. Bushpaw and Elmpaw chose to become To-bes by the names of Bush where Holly Grows (after their dead sister) and Dusk of Dark Sun. Bushpaw was called Bush, training with Shine, and Elmpaw was now Dusk, training with Lightning. They got along well with the other To-bes, especially the younger ones.

Their parents as well as the other adult newcomers chose to den together, forming a little niche. Quailclaw and Gustfang, however, were beginning to open up to cats like Mist, Light, Shine, and Dust. Light was having a great time training Lark, who was quite energetic and had a hard time focusing. The next Stoneteller loved a challenge and would never back down, though. Claw’s wound had healed just in time to give his to-be Stream his final test before he became a full cave-guard along with his sister Feather. Moon had become a prey-hunter and promptly mated with Thrush, who was much older than her. 

Shadow’s kits were getting big and rambunctious. They dwarfed Bush and Dusk though they were two moons younger, a fact that worried Light and Stoneteller immensely.

“It’s concerning, because we just don’t have the prey to feed them properly right now. Especially since you’re going to give birth any day now,” Light complained after a patrol had come back with only a scrawny bird, poking her mate’s swollen stomach. Dust batted her tail away.

“To be fair, the kits will be suckling for a few moons. And I’m willing to hunt some when they can manage for a little while without me.”

“That probably won’t be necessary. Anyways, we’ll manage. No cat is sick as of yet. Snowfall has begun well.” Light twitched her tail cheerfully at Dust, who glared balefully back. She could barely walk because of the size of her stomach at that point, and it was making her snappier than usual. Light didn’t understand but was accepting of it. 

Dust sighed. “We chose to take in new cats. You’re right, we’ll be fine.”

Shadow’s irritated voice came from outside the nursery. “Midnight! I told you to _stop_ bothering Fire, she doesn’t want to play with you!”

Recently, Fire had decided that she was too old for games and spent all of her time imitating hunting and battle moves. Midnight had been hurt by this, and the siblings were fighting constantly, even in the middle of the night. Shadow was incredibly annoyed at her kits and getting very snappish with them. 

Midnight ran into the nursery, ears down and eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry!” He cried when he ran right into Dust’s stomach. 

“That’s fine. The more these kits realize that there’s a whole world outside of me, the better,” Dust said drily. She softened her tone. “Fire doesn’t want to play with you?”

Midnight shook his head sadly. “She just wants to be older, to leave. But... even though we’ll both be cave-guards, we won’t be together as much or with Mommy.”

Light smiled sympathetically at the kit. “You’ll still see her and Shadow when you’re a To-be. For example, though Lark is training to be a cave-guard and Dapple and Swift are going to be prey-hunters, they still spend time together and with their mother. Maybe you two can work something out. Train half the time and play the other half?”

Midnight nodded. “Yeah. Maybe that will work, I’ll try it. Thanks!” He slipped out again, hopeful and more cheerful.

“So wise,” Dust told her mate jokingly. “Do you ever _not_ use leadership skills?” Her mood suddenly dropped as a contraction rippled through her stomach. “Kits. Now.”

Light was instantly in healer mode, calling out to Shadow. “Dust’s in labor! Get Stoneteller!”

Fire burst in, eyes wide. “Wow! Can I help?”

“Get a stick and as much moss as the Tribe can spare,” Dust called. The she-kit dipped her head and raced off, looking honored to be able to help. Light positioned herself by her mate’s head as another contraction began. Dust didn’t cry out, but she certainly looked uncomfortable. Stoneteller appeared, ruffled from a midmorning nap. 

“How quickly are the big contractions coming?” He asked.

“There’s only been one- it’s been a few minutes,” Light reported. A second big contraction came soon after that, causing Dust to shriek.

“Keep me talking in between contractions,” the kit-mother panted. “And talk during them. Let’s talk about our training.”

“Good. You’ll do fine,” Stoneteller told Dust. Shadow’s kits had come with moss and a stick, then darted out when their mother called them. 

The first kit came an hour later, when the contractions were coming only a minute apart. Light was telling her mate about a patrol that had gone badly wrong when she was two moons into training. She winced at the spurt of blood that Dust produced with the kit, and hesitated to break the sac.

Dust hissed in irritation, dropped the stick, and broke the sac herself. She pulled a tiny bundle towards her and began to lick its fur the wrong way to warm it up. Light shook herself guiltily, vowing to act quicker on the next kit and spare her mate from using too much energy.

The first kit was a tom, then two she-kits arrived. By the second tom and fourth kit was born, Dust had lost a concerning amount of blood and was weak. 

“This is the last kit, but it’s turned around in the womb. I need to turn it,” Stoneteller reported quietly. “Dust, you have to stay awake, I know you’re tired.” The kit-mother gave him the fiercest stare she could- which wasn’t very strong. Worry shot through Light, who was soothingly licking her mate’s ears and head. 

It took much too long to turn the kit around, and though it was healthy and squirming once it was out, Dust was unconscious and wouldn’t wake. 

“She’s lost a lot of blood. Get yarrow, nettle, bistort, and clover,” Stoneteller ordered. Light hurried away, running across the cave to the herb store. There was a cavern in the cave where rare medicinal herbs grew during all seasons, placed there by the Tribe of Endless Hunting when Half Moon had become the first Stoneteller many generations before. It had saved many cats’ lives since then, and hopefully would now. Mist was pacing outside of the nursery and chased Light, alarmed. Wren watched from the elders’ den, where Claw and Wind had come for a distraction from the labor.

“What’s wrong? Is she okay? What about the kits?”

“Kits are healthy. Dust needs as many herbs for blood loss as possible.” Light wouldn’t let herself think about what could happen if the herbs failed. Mist nodded and helped make a pulp, halving the time it would have taken with just one cat. 

Stoneteller had gotten Dust half-conscious and fed her the pulp. “I have cobwebs. Place them over her birth passage opening.” 

Once they were sure that the kits were suckling, none were too small or big and Dust was relatively stable, Stoneteller and Light took a break from the nursery. A calm and collected Larchpelt had somehow slipped to the front of the worried crowd surrounding the nursery.

“The kits are healthy. Dust lost a lot of blood and was in critical condition, but we stabilized her for tonight. She will need more prey like rabbits and other lean meat while she is suckling and after.” Stoneteller dipped his head and slipped off to his den, his mate Owl following with a sympathetic look over her shoulder. 

Claw visited Dust and the newborns first. Light found herself explaining what had happened to so many different cats, including Quailclaw, that the acute emotions of the moment wore off. When Larchpelt tapped her shoulder, the unusually colored she-cat sighed tiredly, about to repeat the story.

“I don’t need to know. I’ve heard it five times. I just wanted to let you know that from my experience, when queens- kit-mothers- whatever. When she-cats lose that much blood in birth, they can very rarely carry more kits.”

Light nodded, taking in the information. “That’s probably fine. Something tells me that Dust won’t want to go through that again.”

Larchpelt snorted lightly. “I have been disagreeing with Gorsewhisker over whether we should have another litter. He wants a lot of kits, but I am not ready to give birth again. Being in labor for a full day in a snowstorm while starving then losing two kits three moons later made me reconsider a big family.”

“It’s your decision. You carry them,” Light said. “Now, I need to sleep. Thank you for the information.”

Light re-entered the nursery and added moss to Dust’s nest, curling up next to her family. Wren smiled softly and padded out, knowing that her daughter was safe. “I’ll keep the others out,” she said quietly.

Though it had been a long, painful day, Light felt joy. She was a mother to five beautiful kits, and though her mate was weak, she would fully recover. The future Stoneteller slept well that night. 


	7. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dust and Light name the kits and Gorsewhisker causes more trouble.

Dust woke the next morning feeling weak and sore. She opened her eyes to her sleeping mate and five little bundles pulling at her stomach.

“There are so many,” she said roughly. Light jerked awake, joy filling her gaze.

“You’re up! Yes, there are quite a few of them. How are you feeling?”

“Not great,” Dust admitted. “I don’t really remember what happened, but I assume that the birth didn’t go well for me.”

“You bled a lot. There were a few moments when I thought that you could have...” Light, broke off, a lump in her throat. “But you made it through and will recover, if slowly. The kits are healthy, although I am concerned about one of them. She’s breathing and feeding fine but seems to be making no noise except for small squeaks. When she was first born, I was concerned that she wasn’t making as much noise as the others, and I’m still worried about that.”

Dust furrowed her brow. “The golden one? Oh, I see what you mean. My first thought is that she’s deaf, but only pure white cats with blue eyes have been born deaf in my family.”

“She responds to sound like a normal newborn,” Light said. “Maybe I’ll ask your mother if there’s any other conditions that have shown up in your bloodline. There have been no deaf cats for generations in mine, and no mute ones either.

Dust gasped. “Muteness does run in my family. Wren’s littermate who died of sickness young was mute, and the trait has popped up in past generations as well!”

Light gently touched the kit’s head. “It’s likely that she is, in that case. We won’t really know until she becomes more ambulatory.”

Fire and Midnight burst into the nursery right then, eager to meet their new denmates. “Wow!” The ginger she-kit meowed. “They’re tiny! So pretty, too.” It was true, Dust thought as the older kits fawned over her offspring. The biggest tom-kit had his kit-mother’s shade of brown and what was probably the beginning of dark spotting, as well as a tiny, bent tail. His brother was the runt of the litter and had a black undercoat with already vibrant yellow splotches.

“I have an idea for a name,” Midnight said, pointing at a calico she-kit who had darkish patches. “Petal! That’s obviously only part of a name, but I can come up with the rest later.”

“How about we name them?” Light asked, a purr in her voice. “Petal is a good idea. Maybe that can be what the Tribe calls her.” 

Midnight beamed. Shadow stuck her head in. “Kits! Leave Dust and her spawn alone! Come on, I told you not to go in there.”

Throughout the course of the day, Dust and Light settled on names. Claw came up with Wing that Clouds Dust for the tiny black-and-yellow tom. “In your honor. You did give birth to them, after all,” he purred at his sister before going off to hunt. 

The golden she-kit they named Sleek Sunray on Glittering Pool, Sun for short. She was the first to open her eyes and though she was indeed mute already seemed put-together, learning a basic sign before resting again. Light gave the calico she-kit the name of Petals Falling into Clear Pools, using Midnight’s idea and sticking with the theme of water. Pools littered the cave and were a central part of a Healer-cave-guard’s daily life. Dust named the tom with the bent tail Bird that Whispers Lightly after her mother’s gentle nature. 

The last she-kit was the biggest of the litter, double Wing’s size, and seemed to be the most energetic. She had a tabby pattern like Dust’s but with no white, and black paws, tail, and mask. She was awake and full of questions at fifteen hours old. 

“It’s confusing! I don’t want to call you both Mommy,” she said after the basics of the Tribe and her family had been explained. Sun silently nodded and Wing squeaked in agreement. 

It was an issue that the mates had addressed early on in the discussions that led up to them having kits. Both she-cats had totally different preferences on what they wanted to be called. “I would like it if you called me Dust,” the kit-mother told her offspring. “Light can be Mommy. Will that work? That was a wonderful question... oh, we need to figure out what to call  _ you  _ now!”

Light studied her kit. “You’re big and there are a lot of creatures called birds in the mountains. Your sleepyhead brother is named Bird, actually. The biggest kind that I know of is an eagle, so that should be part of your name. And you’re very energetic...”

“Eagle Bounding over Mountain. Eagle for short. How about that?” Dust asked her daughter. Eagle nodded entusiastically.

“Yeah! Cool. Can we go outside now?”

“Not yet, you have to wait for all of your siblings to wake up,” Light said. Eagle and Wing protested, and Sun waved her tail around in an irritated fashion. They eventually tired themselves out protesting and Light left alone. Dust drifted off as well, drained and sore from the birth.

Over at the prey pile, Duskflare and Gorsewhisker were facing off. Dusk stood between them, eyes wide with fear. Mist and Shine stood off to the side, trying to defuse the situation. Stoneteller was nowhere to be found. 

“You’ve hypnotized my daughter!” Gorsewhisker snarled. “Why else would she want to change her name to yours?”

“I just like sunset!” Dusk protested faintly. Duskflare looked at her with contempt in his eyes. 

“I don’t agree with her name, she should have stuck with Elmpaw! I have been acting as a mentor, yes, but I have not  _ hypnotized  _ her.”

“That’s slightly creepy but it sounds like you have no real disagreement,” Mist put in. “Can you two calm down, please? There are newborns in the cave.”

“Don’t forget sleeping elders!” Yew called. They had obviously been woken up, as their fur was even spikier than usual.

“Shut up! All of you!” Gorsewhisker snapped. “Anyway, you stole my prey!”

Light blinked in confusion. Then she saw a half-eaten rabbit in between the toms, and tensed a little. They had to have learned that prey went to elders and kit-mothers before any other cats! And she knew for a fact that there had been no food in the nursery that morning.

Shine said as much. “That is not either of yours. Tribe members eat after our young, old, and mothers have been fed.”

“That’s what it was like in the Clans. I thought that we had gotten away from all of that,” Gorsewhisker spat. Even Duskflare looked taken aback at that.

Light struggled to keep her voice even. “Well, Gorsewhisker and Duskflare, now you know. I need to feed my mate now, so I will be taking what’s left of that rabbit. Dusk, how about you take something to the elders?”

The little she-cat looked relieved to have an out, darting away with a hawk. Gorsewhisker glared after his daughter. “She’s just a little convert, isn’t she?”

“Following authority figures is not- whatever.” Duskflare was calming down, smoothing his fur and handing Light the half-rabbit. “I apologize for my behavior. I will follow the rules from now on.”

“Good. And you should understand that Lightning does not need help with training Dusk.” Duskflare nodded in assent just as a blur of dark fur knocked him to the ground. A sharp snap was heard, and he howled in pain. 

Both Light and Mist moved to pin Gorsewhisker, who had leaped over the prey pile in his attack. The dark tom’s eyes were wild and fierce as he lashed out, but he was still weak and only managed to land a small scratch on Light’s foreleg before he was fully restrained. 

“Calm. Down.” The Stoneteller-in-training enunciated her words carefully, teeth bared and gaze dangerous. The tom quailed and gave in. “Claw and Thrush, take this one to an abandoned den and post a guard until Stoneteller can deal with him. Wind, please take Duskflare to the healing den. I will be along in just a moment. Shine, will you please take the rest of this poor rabbit to Dust? She’s probably sleeping, so be careful not to wake her.”

Thrush pulled a limp but still furious Gorsewhisker to his feet and then he and a frazzled-looking Claw led him away. Wind gently pulled the injured young tom to his feet. Duskflare was obviously favoring one foot as he limped away- his shoulder was at least cracked. Shine picked up the rabbit and took it to the nursery, where Shadow had gathered her kits. 

Light took a second to recover her equilibrium. Mist reached out gently with their tail. “I can take a patrol out to replace the lost prey. We’ll need more now, anyway.” 

“Thank you,” Light said. “That would be wonderful.” She headed to heal Duskflare, thoroughly unsettled. So Gorsewhisker’s temper could be dangerous. More and more, she just wanted to sent him on his way. There were places he could go and survive away from the Tribe or the Clans that would help all of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are non-binary cats in this fic. Yew and Mist use they/them pronouns and there is no big issue in the Tribe (mostly).


	8. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Quailclaw’s past.
> 
> Warning: mention of death, loss, minor character death, descriptions of violence

Dust found herself busier than she had ever been in her life. While Sun (who managed to learn enough sign to say that she wanted to change her shortened name, but couldn’t find the signs to describe what she wished it to be) and Wing were good about staying near their kit-mother, Eagle, Bird, and Petal constantly wanted to explore. Eagle in particular had a lot of energy and was developing a challenging personality at only two and a half moons old. All of the kits were growing quickly, despite the fact that prey was running slowly in Snowfall. Shadow had returned to cave-guard duties after her kits had become to-bes. Also, Larchpelt had started alienating Dusk after Gorsewhisker and Duskflare’s fight, which had left the younger tom permanently injured and Gorsewhisker bitter and brooding. Bush supported his sister and neither to-be, in consequence, was talking to their parents. Dust was keeping a close eye on the situation. 

Quailclaw had slowly begun to open up to Dust and was sharing a little more about his past every day. Dust knew all about his mate Firshade, but not his other family, and asked for a story about them. “My mother’s name was Juniperspring,” he was telling her one bitterly cold afternoon. “She was a very pale brown queen who was better suited to being a warrior but tried her best with my two sisters and I. My father Leaftail was loving and funny, and we all loved him. When we became apprentices, Kitepaw and I were excited to train, but Longpaw was unhappy. She wanted to be a medicine cat apprentice, but Pollenpelt already had Beepaw to train. So while I proved to be a good fighter and Kitepaw quickly showed skill in everything she tried, Longpaw languished. Her mentor was a senior warrior and veteran mentor named Fallenhowl who was willing to work with her, but he couldn’t make her learn skills she wasn’t suited for.”

“This sounds like it’s going to go all murder-y,” Dust purred, rolling a moss ball over to her kits. “That’s an evil bird trying to kill us! Get it! Please, continue, Quailclaw.”

“No, she did something arguably crazier than murdering Beepaw: she left to become the old RiverClan medicine cat’s apprentice!” Quailclaw grinned at the kit-mother’s shocked and slightly amused gasp. “Currentheart was close to retirement and Shimmerstar was happy to welcome Longpaw. You can ask Gustfang and River, it’s true! My sister is now Longpebble, medicine cat of RiverClan. She’s even training an apprentice of her own, Timberpaw. I was supportive of her then and happy for her now.”

“That’s nice. And what happened to Kitepaw, the one that’s good at everything?” Dust’s heart sank when his eyes darkened.

“She passed her final test to become Kiteshine a moon early. It seemed like she was on track to be the youngest deputy of ThunderClan since the legendary Firestar, but she went on a darker path along with her mate Goldcloud. Together, they planned to take over the Clan with the help of rogues, who are vicious cats living outside of the Clans. I helped discover the plot and managed to get word to Shalestar. Kiteshine, Goldcloud, and their rogues were defeated in the ensuing battle. The old deputy Pouncefeather retired and I took his place.”

“That’s horrible,” Dust murmured. Eagle bounded over, frowning. 

“What’s horrible is that Wing took the lead when he knows that’s my job! Tell him to apologize, Dust!” the she-kit demanded. Her kit-mother sighed.

“You need to let others take the lead when you play. Wing doesn’t have to apologize.” 

“But Dust!” Eagle protested. Dust gave her a fierce look, and she slunk away. 

“Anyway. That was a nice interruption to your story. Go on.”

Quailclaw purred at the kits’ antics before continuing. “Shalestar decided that since Kiteshine and Goldcloud were she-cats and mates, all same-gender couples were traitors. She’s not the most reasonable of cats,” he said at Dust’s sideways glance. “Firshade and I had been together for a few moons, as I’ve told you, and we had hidden our relationship until then due to discrimination within the Clan- part of the reason why my sister and her mate turned evil. We were careful about our actions and no cat except those we trusted knew our secret until much later, when Firshade was killed in a skirmish with ShadowClan. Juniperspring was badly injured as well and I couldn’t handle it. Shalestar’s suspicions about me were confirmed and she forced me to leave.”

Dust didn’t know how to reply appropriately. Quailclaw had made it quite clear that the last thing he wanted was pity, but she had never been good at socializing or expressing emotion and was lost for words. Wing saved the moment by coming over to the black-eared tom, dragging a mossball. Sun ran to her mother, batting her paws in the air playfully. Dust responded by crouching down, pretending to be an enemy and letting the little kit bat at her. She had mostly recovered from the birth, but had cut her daily walks out to conserve her energy. 

“Eagle decided that she wanted to explore and Bird and Petal followed, so you have to play with me now,” Wing said matter-of-factly. Quailclaw shrugged and aquiesced, picking up the little toy and gently tossing it towards the back of the nursery.

“I’m going to find the other three,” Dust said after a few minutes of play. “Watch them, please, Quailclaw.” The Clanborn tom nodded as she slipped after her kits, following their scent-trail. “Why would they be going that way? And what is that smell?” She murmured as the trail led to the abandoned tunnels in the back of the cave. A new scent was wafting through the air; blood and fur and death. Dust began to run, horror slowly rising.

Eagle, Petal, and Bird were surrounding an unmoving lump of bloodstained tortoiseshell fur, squeaking in distress. They spotted their mother and ran towards her. “We were going to look in a tunnel and we found Rain here! She’s not moving and we’ve been poking her and she hasn’t reacted!” Petal said, dark green eyes wide with fear. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Go back to the nursery,” Dust said quietly. “Quailclaw can take care of you there. Right now!” She snapped, and they dashed off. The kit-mother approached her Tribemate, knowing that Rain was dead before she saw her torn-open throat and stomach (so much so that her guts were spilling out onto the ground. Dust hoped against hope that her kits hadn‘t gotten close enough to see that). It looked like she had been there for only a few minutes.

Raindrops Splashing on Pool had become a to-be along with her brother Cry that Pierces the Day one and a quarter moons after Mist, Claw, and Dust. Rain had been outgoing and tended to ignore Dust, but had never been unkind or disrespectful. Cry, meanwhile, had been blinded in a hunting accident and blamed Dust for letting the falcon attack him, despite the fact that she’d been the one to kill it and save his life. Rain had always come to the older she-cat’s defense and supported Mist when they had revealed that they were not a tom or a she-cat, but something in between.

Rain was one of the better hunters in the Tribe and her loss was a bitter one. Dust took in a shuddering breath: what would she tell Yew, Cry and Rain’s kit-bearer, whose mate Tree Clinging to Boulder had passed away only five moons before? She began to walk towards Stoneteller’s den, but was knocked off her feet with a yowl when a weight hit her back. 

Light was training Lark to scent intruders without eyesight, using Dapple, Dusk, and Bush as hidden enemies when she heard her mate’s pained howl. She dashed back into the cave to see Cry pouncing on Dust, who kicked him off with a powerful thrust of her hind legs. Even weakened, being one of the few cats who could fight in the Tribe had its advantages for Dust. 

Claw raced over, snarling furiously at Cry. “How dare you attack a nursing mother! How dare you attack my _sister_?!” Wind was right behind, staring with wide eyes. Mist helped a slightly stunned Dust to her feet. Most of the Tribe was appearing from their dens, attracted by the noise.

“You killed Rain!” Cry howled at Dust. Gasps rang out through the cave.

“No, I didn’t. My kits found her body.” Dust’s reply was smooth and her gaze steady. “I have no reason to kill her and regret deeply that she is dead.”

“Rain is dead?” Light demanded. Stoneteller, as usual, was late to the party in his den. “Let’s not accuse any cat of anything right now. Where is her body?”

“By the abandoned tunnels. She was split open,” Dust said. Yew had come from the elders’ den, silver gaze shimmering with emotion.

“Is this true? Is my daughter murdered?” They asked. Dust nodded slowly, ears down in grief. 

“Eagle, Bird, and Petal found her body and I discovered it while following them. She’s been dead for a little while.”

Yew let out a wail of devastation, echoed around the cave. Owl and Wind offered support to the grief-stricken elder, and others wandered after Light. Rain was a popular and well-liked cat. Dust headed to the nursery, suddenly needing to have her kits near her. They flocked to her, full of questions.

“Is Rain okay? Why was her stomach so gross? Why won’t Quailclaw tell us what’s going on?”

Dust sighed, lying down in the nest and bringing her children to her. “Rain is with the Tribe of Endless Hunting now. I’m sorry you had to see what that evil cat did to her.”

“Are things going to be okay?” Bird stared at his kit-mother mournfully.

“I don’t know, baby. Only time will tell.” Dust wrapped her tail around her kits, letting fear sweep through her. A dark voice in her head said that this was only the beginning of a deadly mystery.


	9. Updated Allegiances

**The Tribe of Rushing Water (Updated)**

**Healer:** Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller)- silver tabby tom with golden eyes

 **Prey-Hunters:** Wind when Night Falls (Wind)- lean gray tom with black underbelly, long claws, and yellow eyes

Fall of Shining Stone (Shine)- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

_To-be, Bush where Holly Grows_

Mist on Tall Rock (Mist)- dark gray tabby cat with yellow eyes, large ears, and long tail

Moon that Illuminates Heather (Moon)- beautiful creamy silver-and-black she-cat with purple eyes

Owl that Flies Silently (Owl)- black-and-white she-cat

Cloud When Sun Shines with Flames (Cloud)- ginger tom

_To-be, Dappled Shadows on Leaf_

Creek that Runs Swiftly (Creek)- blue-gray tom

_To-be, Swift Breeze that Carries Spider_

Mouse Scampering Over Moss (Mouse)- brown-and-gray tom

Lightning that Makes Fire (Lightning)- ginger tabby tom

_To-be, Dusk of Dark Sun_

Hail when Wind Howls (Hail)- white she-cat, deaf

River where Minnows Swim Swiftly (River)- glossy-furred gray-and-white she-cat, formerly RiverClan

**Cave-Guards:** Claws of Snarling Wolf (Claw)- large dark brown tom with amber eyes

Stream Running Through Stones (Stream)- silver tom

Dive of Screeching Eagle (Dive)- ginger tom

_To-be, Midnight when Rabbits Run_

Cry that Pierces the Day (Cry)- blind calico tom

Dawn of Cloudless Morning (Dawn)- beautiful red she-cat, twisted jaw

Feather Balancing on Leaf (Feather)- fluffy pale ginger she-cat

Song that Calms Storms (Song)- gray she-cat

Shadows Falling over Bush (Shadow)- large, very thick-furred black she-cat 

Light that Breaks Shadows (Light)- yellow-and-black she-cat with soft fur and green eyes

_To-be, Lark Flying over Clouds_

Cliff Looming over Valley (Cliff)- spiky-furred dark gray tabby tom

Thrush who Sings During Blizzard (Thrush)- white tom, missing half of tail

_To-be, Fire Blazing Through Ivy_

**To-bes:** Midnight when Rabbits Run (Midnight)- black tom, cave-guard

Fire Blazing Through Ivy (Fire)- ginger she-cat, cave-guard

Lark Flying over Clouds (Lark)- dark brown she-cat, cave-guard

Dappled Shadows on Leaf (Dapple)- dappled pale brown tom, prey-hunter

Swift Breeze that Carries Spider (Swift)- long-legged black cat with green eyes, prey-hunter

Bush where Holly Grows- small pale brown tabby tom with dark yellow eyes

Dusk of Dark Sun- small dark brown she-cat with blue eyes

**Kit-Mothers:** Dust that Clouds Dream (Dust)- brown-and-white tabby she-cat with short fur, yellow eyes, large ears, and bent tail, prey-hunter, mother to Bird that Whispers Lightly (Bird, pale brown tom with black spots and yellow eyes, short fur, bent tail, and large ears), Sleek Sunray on Glittering Pool (Sun, mute golden she-kit with white underbelly, paws, tail-tip, ears, and muzzle, dark blue eyes, and brittle fur), Wing that Clouds Dust (Wing, tiny yellow-and-black tom with dark amber eyes and long tail), Petals Falling into Clear Pools (Petal, soft-furred calico she-kit with brown patches and dark green eyes), and Eagle Bounding over Mountain (Eagle, big brown tabby she-kit with short fur, black paws, mask, tail, and bright blue eyes), Light’s kits 

**Elders:** Vine that Grows on Rock (Vine)- gray tabby tom

Wren Singing at Dawn (Wren)- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Yew that Blooms on Bush (Yew)- spiky furred silvery-gray cat with black markings, brown underbelly, and silver eyes

Maple Shading Nervous Lark (Maple)- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Clan Refugees:** Quailclaw- gray tom with black ears and green eyes, formerly ThunderClan’s deputy

Gorsewhisker- sleek dark brown tabby tom with golden eyes, white underbelly, and long teeth, formerly SkyClan; Dusk and Bush’s father

Larchpelt- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes, formerly SkyClan; Dusk and Bush’s mother

Foxear- black-and-white tom with amber eyes, formerly WindClan

Duskflare- blue-eyed pale ginger (with darker flecks) tom, yellow eyes, permanent limp, formerly WindClan

Gustfang- white tom with green eyes, formerly RiverClan


	10. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An investigation, another crisis. A short but angsty chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of suicidal ideation and suicidal thoughts. Murder as well.

Light stared at her dead Tribemate, anger and frustration rising. Funny, likeable Rain had been killed horribly and there was no sign of who had done it. No fur between the claws or any unique damage marks on the body. The Healers did figure out that she had been killed two hours before, in early morning. “It looks like we’re going to have to have an investigation,” Light sighed. 

The Tribe gathered, and luckily, most of them could be cleared right away. Dapple, Lark, Dusk, and Bush had been with Light the entire morning, so they were clear. Duskflare had been in a check-up with Stoneteller two hours before, and was also still hobbling badly on his broken shoulder. Gorsewhisker, Shine, and River had the dawn hunting patrol and hadn’t gotten back until after the initial death announcement. Dust and Quailclaw had been in the nursery. Hail, Mist, and Mouse had been sleeping off a hunting patrol that went late. Shadow, Song, Cliff, and Cry had been in full sight the entire morning, and Midnight and Fire had been with the elders, all of whom could never overpower Rain or sneak up on her.

Light felt the hatred of her Tribe for the first time when questioning them. “I just want to clear you. I don’t actually think you killed her,” she told Cry, who turned away in disgust.

“Well, I know who did it! It was Dust.” The blind tom looked unbalanced and grief-stricken, but there was real venom behind his words.”

“Dust was in the nursery and ten cats can back that up, including Stoneteller and I. Also, Rain would have defeated her easily in her weakened state,” Light pointed out. She knew enough about the anger against her mate to not get upset. “Do you have any idea who could have killed your sister other than Dust?”

“Gorsewhisker and his mate,” Cry grunted. “That she-cat is tricky, I just know it.”

Larchpelt was clear because she, Foxear, and Gustfang had gone to patrol with Swift and Creek soon after the kill must have happened, and all had acted perfectly normal and had no blood on them. Light did keep the idea in mind, though. 

There were a few challenges. Wind and Claw as well as Moon and Thrush had been off hunting early, and no other cat could account for them at the time of death. To make matters worse, Stream, Feather, Owl, Lightning, and Dawn all said that they had been by themselves. Stoneteller’s face dropped at his mate’s words, because then she had to be considered a suspect and would be questioned further. 

The process was painful for Light because she couldn’t believe that any cat in the cave could kill Rain as horrifyingly as they had. “What if there’s a cat living in the tunnels that’s been hiding?” She suggested. “It’s not like we check back there often.”

Stonteteller nodded. “That could be possible. Will you lead a patrol to look?”

Light took Shadow, Cliff, and Lark. They didn’t find evidence of a nest or living area, but Cliff did smell the stale scent of a she-cat in the air. However, he couldn’t identify it. “Too old,” he grunted in defeat.

“It’s good to know,” Light said. “So that takes out half of our suspects.”

“Not necessarily. What if several cats in on the plot and only one was sent for Rain?” Shadow asked. 

“Maybe. Anything is possible, we just don’t know,” Light sighed. Suddenly, Swift sprinted towards them, eyes wide with alarm.

“Yew is trying to drown themself!”

The patrol raced back to see the bereaved elder standing belly-deep in a pool of water, with Maple, Cry, and Dust facing them. 

“My daughter is dead. She’s been murdered horribly. So soon after Tree, too!” Yew wailed. “I don’t see the point to life anymore, so why should I keep living?”

“No!” Cry snapped. “Your kits aren’t gone. Howl and Rain might be, but _I’m_ here, and _I_ need you.”

“You have the Tribe to support you!” Yew replied. “Me, I can’t support any cat.”

“The entire Tribe can’t give me the love of a parent!” Cry countered. “Please don’t drown yourself. For me.”

Yew looked slightly swayed, but remained firmly in the water. “Well, I’m sorry, then.”

“Hold on. It’s my turn.” Maple’s voice was a croak, but rang out strongly. What seemed to be the entire Tribe seemed to be watching, totally silent. “We grew up together, Yew. We’re only a moon apart and you even stayed back in training to wait for me to become a full member of the Tribe. We’ve always been close, and... I realized this moons ago, but have never been able to say this. I love you. I love you like you loved Treen and he loved you.”

Yew’s eyes widened, and they looked very guilty. “You mean that you felt like that about me and had to watch me be with Tree? I am so sorry. I- I do feel the same, and- I would never want to hurt you like I have.”

Dust spoke over Maple’s next words. It was clear that the elder was only making the situation worse. “Yew, do you understand the implications of this act? You would be leaving Cry with no family the day his sister was murdered. You would devastate the Tribe even more than this day already has. Do you want to be responsible for all of that pain?”

Light let out her breath. Was her mate really going to reveal what she seemed to be about to? Mist, Claw, Wren, and Wind exchanged nervous glances.

“That’s quite harsh,” Maple said. Dust didn’t let her gaze waver from Yew, who was really starting to doubt their decision. They even took a few steps forward.

“It’s the truth.”

“You sound like you’ve heard all that before. That was your mother’s words,” Yew rasped. 

Dust dipped her head and swallowed. “Well, she’s given me that pep talk a few times. Never in such an obvious spot, but a pool once. It took a few tries to get the message across.”

“You’ve tried to kill yourself?” Cry asked, legitimately surprised.

“You might have noticed that I’m not particularly well-liked in this cave. Cats’ words hurt me deeply when I was younger, especially after Light and I became mates. The thoughts stopped after I became pregnant, when I realized that there were creatures that absolutely needed me to live.” Dust’s words had created a ripple of realization and guilt through the cave, and Light’s eyes shone with pride. 

“I- I can’t. I won’t.” Yew stepped out of the pool, and Light rushed forward to treat them. Dust slipped away in the ensuing madness, heading back to the nursery.

“They didn’t hear any of that. You were very brave,” Quailclaw told her. The kit-mother nodded her head shakily and slid back down into the nest. 

Light finished treating Yew, who was shivering but mostly unharmed, and joined her mate. Quailclaw took his leave. 

“I’m so proud of you. Yew really appreciates it,” the yellow-and-black she-cat mewed, curling her tail around Dust’s. The kits crowded their mother, eager for action.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Dust was obviously emotionally drained, ears down and eyes dull. “Let’s just play.”

So the mates entertained their kits that afternoon, trying to forget the events of the day for a few precious minutes. 


	11. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eagle runs away; Dust and Light train Lark. I’m not super happy with this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: brief mention of suicide

Dust had never been able to sleep well because her greatest fear was the judgment of other cats, and she had felt judged almost her entire life. It had been a quarter moon since Rain’s death and Yew’s suidice attempt, and she attracted stares whenever she left the nursery. She didn’t need to hear the whispers about her and stayed with her kits most of the time. She did have a companion in Owl, who was expecting Stoneteller’s first litter, and they were getting close for the first time in their lives. 

Tonight, Owl was sleeping, like Dust should have been. It wasn’t a nightmare, however, that woke her, for she could feel that there were only four little bundles by her stomach. The kit-mother fully woke and looked to see who was missing. Wing’s dark-and-light pelt shone from the light that seeped in from the special herb garden; so did Petal’s bright patches and Sun’s golden fur; and Bird’s bent tail stuck up at an awkward angle. So Eagle had snuck out.

Dust poked Owl awake with the brittle tip of her tail. She had limited movement, but it was enough to reach the pregnant she-cat. “Hey! Eagle is gone and it’s snowing hard. I don’t want to wake the others by moving too suddenly, so can you please look for her?” She whispered

Owl took a moment to understand, but went into panic mode when she did. “Yes! Of course.” She left the den, breaking into a run as soon as she was in the clear, her swollen stomach moving from side to side. 

Dust slowly disentangled herself from her litter, hissing slightly when she noticed that Wing had his teeth around a milk teat. “I thought I weaned you, and you know that I don’t have any more milk,” she murmured, and then remembered why she had to get up. 

Owl’s lumbering had caught the attention of Lightning and Claw, who were guarding. Stoneteller had ruled that the suspect cats would be watched but not treated too differently, because the Tribe needed all of the prey-hunters to be active and none of them were acting odd. Dust firmly believed that Claw, Wind, and Owl, at least, would never murder Rain. 

The guards came over to the kit-mother, who explained the situation. “I woke up to find Eagle gone from the nest. She’s been begging to go outside, so I’m afraid that she might have... might...” the panic caught up to her, and Dust began to breathe faster. “There’s a killer, and she’s not even three moons old!”

“Hey! I’m sure that Eagle is just playing somewhere. The killer won’t go after her,” Claw reassured his sister. Lightning’s mew broke up the scene.

“Owl found her outside!”

Owl had a wriggling, wet Eagle hanging from her jaws. Dust glared, and the she-kit stopped struggling. She didn’t even run when Owl placed her down. 

“It is the middle of the night! What were you thinking, Eagle!” Dust snarled, voice still quiet. 

“You wouldn’t let me go outside!” Eagle’s black tail waved as she protested. “And I want to at least see the territory before I become a to-be, so I’m not totally unprepared!”

“That is your kit. Eagle, your mother snuck out many times when she was your age,” Claw said, then backed off at his sister’s furious look.

“Yes, I did. I almost fell off a cliff! The entire Tribe was searching for me for a full day! My mother thought that I was dead. It was a bad idea, Eagle, and it wasn’t Snowfall and raining when I explored!”

Eagle was undeterred. “You said that you would show me before I became a to-be.”

“Correct. I said that I would show _all_ of you _some_ of the territory when you were _five moons old_ ,” Dust shot back. She made an effort to lower her volume and lighten her tone. “You will help Fire and Midnight clean out the elders’ den for the next moon. Now, let’s take you to Light. You must be cold.” Lightning stayed to guard while the others escorted the kit away. 

Predictably, both Healers were fast asleep in the den they shared. “Silver!” Owl called to her mate. She was the only cat that still used Stoneteller’s old name, Silver Stripe of Full Moon, for his moonlight-colored tabby pelt. 

“What?” Stoneteller rasped. “It’s the middle of the night. Is it an emergency?”

“Eagle decided to have fun playing in the snow,” Dust said flatly. Eagle put her ears down in shame and Light shot up, suddenly on alert, and raced over to her daughter. 

“Are you all right? You’re shivering. Come on, here’s some moss to dry you off!”

Stoneteller looked at Dust, who was practically falling asleep on her paws now that Eagle was safe in the Healer den. “You should go back to your nest. You do have four other kits, and Eagle will be all right.”

The kit-mothers went back to the nursery, where Sun and Bird were drowsily searching for Eagle and Dust. It was dark, so Sun couldn’t communicate effectively, and Bird spoke for her. “Where have you been? Where’s Eagle?”

“Your silly sister went out in the snow and got very cold. She’s with Light and Stoneteller now, so she will be back to normal in no time. How about we all go to sleep?”The kits were unconscious quickly, followed by their kit-mother and then Owl. 

Eagle stayed in the Healer den all through the next day and the morning after, her shivering barely lessening. Dust was worried even before Light reported that she had whitecough and would need to stay quarantined. “It’s Snowfall. She’s big, but just developing the ability to fight disease, and whitecough can easily turn into greencough in cold weather!” 

The mates were talking well away from the other kits, whom Quailclaw and Owl had elected to watch for a while. Light put her tail on her mate’s shoulder, ever the reassuring presence. “Our kit is strong. She will fight this and be back to her usual annoying self in just a few days, I’m sure. How about we totally leave the cave? I’m training Lark in intruder detection in the abandoned tunnels and I need an intruder.”

So Dust found herself crouching behind a pile of rocks in a musky, half-fallen tunnel, covered in rabbit dung to disguise her scent, while Lark tried to find her. The young dark brown she-cat’s green eyes were slitted in concentration as her nose twitched furiously. Dust moved forward, dashing behind a boulder ten feet away from the to-be. She was caught when she tried to move again, and Lark attacked (with sheathed claws) almost immediately.

Lark had good instincts, but her fighting skills were sloppy. Her blows were slow and she left her stomach exposed when she leapt. Dust pinned her easily. “You need to work on combat skills. I’m still recovering from the birth,” she said. “You’ve detected me more times that I got you, though. Your nose is sharp.”

“Your tail drags on the ground when you let it down. That helps.” Lark might have been talkative, but she always downplayed her strengths. 

“I’ll work on that,” Dust replied. “How about I teach you a few moves now? It that’s fine with Light, of course.”

“Yes, obviously my training hasn’t been enough,” the Healer-in-training agreed with a wry tail-flick. 

Dust showed Lark how to pin an enemy without leaving her stomach exposed. “What you have to do is use your tail and plant your back paws firmly on the ground. I can’t do it well because my tail doesn’t work correctly, but you should be fine.”

Lark caught on quickly and managed to protect her stomach from Dust, who purred and congratulated the to-be. “Can you teach me to fight more?” The young dark brown she-cat asked.

“That is a wonderful idea. How does a few minutes in the mornings sound?” Light suggested. 

“I can’t promise to be available every morning, but I would be willing to,” Dust said. Once the little training group was back in the main cave, the kit-mother headed over to a pool to wash off. 

“Isn’t that where Yew tried to drown themself?” Lark asked. Dust stiffened, but nodded. “Is what you said true? Have you really tried to kill yourself?”

Light snarled at her apprentice, seeing that Dust had totally frozen up. “Why wouldn’t it be? Stop asking personal questions.” Lark quickly backed off, spotting Swift across the cave and racing over to join them. “Are you okay?” Light asked her mate.

“She just asked a question. It’s fine,” Dust reassured, but found herself slightly choked up. Her mate watched with worried green eyes. “I’m going to see Eagle.”

The little kit perked up when her kit-mother entered the Healer’s den, but still looked miserable. “Hi, Dust! I’ve stopped shivering.”

“As much,” Stoneteller corrected. “Dust, I’m really sorry, but she needs to rest. Can you come back tomorrow?”

Dust nodded unsurely and left, needing another distraction. Back at the nursery, Claw had taken Owl’s place in taking care of the other kits and was talking about how Wind had caught two falcons that morning near the cave. “You should have seen it! One of them looked big enough to carry him away, but he wasn’t scared and just clawed at its throat!” Dust purred; Wind and Claw were stupidly, adorably in love with each other. 

“My mate Firshade also had a talent for bird-catching. He could leap higher than any cat in the Clan,” Quailclaw said. It was only the third time he had mentioned Firshade around Claw but by far the most comfortable. He had been making progress in fitting in with the Tribe and would hopefully become a full member soon. 

Dust was able to push her worry away for a few more minutes. 


	12. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another event for grief. Dust and Larchpelt bond over shared experiences. 
> 
> It took a week, but here’s a decent-length-and-content chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: death of a very young cat and depictions of grief.

Eagle’s condition only worsened throughout the night, and Light called Dust to watch and let her know what was going on. The other kits were with Owl and Quailclaw, who was practically a kit-mother himself at that point. 

Dust stared mournfully as her once-strong daughter coughed pathetically. “Lightning told me that this is my fault for letting her leave,” she said. Light growled.

“How dare he? If anything, he should have seen her. He was guarding the cave.” 

“I told him that. He just walked away.” Dust was clearly trying to keep a conversation going. Both she-cats were struggling to hold themselves together; Eagle could still tell what was going on and would be distressed by overt shows of grief from her mothers. Stoneteller, meanwhile, was preparing a pain relief pulp. 

“You two need to decide now if you want your other kits to be there when she... you know. It’s not long now.” The silver tom had been a healer for not too many moons but was experienced in dealing with grief and loss. He was always stony-faced when facing the death of a patient. 

“We probably should. They’ll hate us later if we don’t at least tell them now,” Dust sighed. She turned around and gasped, spotting a wide-eyed Sun in the entrance to the den. Owl appeared a moment later, her belly swaying slightly.

“I’m sorry! She’s really quiet and figured out where you were going.”

“No, that’s okay. Can you bring the others, please? It’s time to explain a few things,” Light said gently. Owl’s ears drooped in understanding and she disappeared. Sun took a few steps forward, staring at her sick sister with horror. “Sun, dear, do you know what death is?”

Sun made the signs for _rain_ , _blood_ , and _disappear_.

“Yes, Rain was really bloody and she hasn’t been around. That’s because she is with our ancestors- her soul, more specifically- the Tribe of Endless Hunting. An evil cat forced her soul out of her body and she moved on. That’s what is happening to Eagle,” Dust explained.

“She’s dying?” The other kits had arrived.

“Why is she coughing?”

“Mommy, I’m scared!”

“Lower your voices!” Stoneteller snapped. Light glared at him as the kits whimpered in fear. 

“Hey!” A tiny voice piped. Eagle was aware of her surroundings and had spotted her siblings. “You- you’re here!” She coughed again, and her family approached. Dust curled around her daughter, not caring about germs, and licked her fur to warm her up. 

“Mommy and Dust said that you were sick,” Bird mewed. “Now they say that you’re going to the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”

“Is that where Rain is?” Eagle asked weakly. Light nodded. 

“It’s a place where you can run and play all you want. There are many cats there, including Rain, that you will really like meeting and want to meet you.”

“But will you be there?” Eagle squeaked. “I- I like it here.”

“No, honey,” Dust said. Her voice almost broke as she tried to comfort her dying kit. “Not for a long time. That’s something that we’ll all have to deal with.”

“I- I’m happy now,” Eagle said. Her breathing was getting shallower and her voice was hardly louder than a whisper. After a few more laborious breaths, she fell still, curled against Dust’s belly.

Wing squeaked in alarm. “Wake up! Eagle, come on!”

Sun shook with silent sobs and ran to a grief-stricken Light, who pulled her close. Dust buried her nose into Eagle’s fur and took a moment to privately grieve before standing and turning to her kits. Bird stared blankly for a moment before letting out a wail that half the cave probably heard and racing out of the den, dodging Owl’s attempt to catch him. 

Dust left Petal, Wing, and Sun in the Healer’s den, following Bird. The kit had reached the main clearing and was attracting stares from the Tribe members that were not hunting. “I don’t understand! She’s going to be fine, right? Tell me that she’ll be fine and get up and play and run!”

“She can, just not here, not with you. It’s not because she doesn’t love you, it’s because of her sickness.” Dust knew that her answer wouldn’t make Bird feel better, but she refused to lie to him. 

Gasps rang out. Claw, Wren, and Mist approached. “I am so sorry,” the elder murmured to her daughter. Dust hissed in annoyance. 

“Don’t be, help calm my son down before _he_ runs outside and catches greencough too!” 

Mist went to Bird, who looked up at them with big, angry eyes. “I want my sister back.”

“I want her back too,” Mist told him. “But she’s better now. She’s not in pain anymore. Don’t you want that for Eagle?”

“No! I want her _here_ ! _Now_!” The black-spotted kit broke into loud, furious howls and tried to race away again. Claw caught him and firmly pinned his tail, waiting until Bird collapsed, sobbing, to release him. 

The rest of the day passed in a blur. What seemed like the entire Tribe approached Dust (who was watched over closely by Claw, Mist, and Wren) with sympathetic comments; some were more meaningful than others.

“She was a great kit. I’m sorry for your loss.” Mouse, who had lost his entire first litter to greencough the past Snowfall and knew to keep it brief. The two had never been close.

“This is so horrible! If there’s anything I can do for you, tell me,” Moon said with a pitying look on her face. Dust didn’t mind the young she-cat and nodded in faux gratefulness, not willing to alienate a friendly cat. 

“I know what it’s like to lose kits so young. I found that it was good to discuss your grief with another cat. It doesn’t have to be me, just a cat who will listen and provide support. Know that I am here.” Out of all of the cats that came up to her, Dust found that Larchpelt was the most unobtrusive and the least sympathetic. She decided to take her up on that offer later. 

Light was handling it worse than her mate, who was shutting off her feelings to take care of her remaining kits. Bird was murmuring that Eagle wasn’t really dead; he had always been resistant to change and tough feelings. Thoughtful Petal was dedicating herself to helping Sun sign what she wanted to be called, and they appeared to be getting close. Wing had challenged Bush and Dusk to a moss ball battle and seemed satisfied when he won, which was all the time because the little kit would start crying if either to-be got close to beating him. Normally, he was cheerful and flexible, but grief was taking its toll on him. 

Light led the vigil in a trembling voice, stopping and starting several times and needing prods from Stoneteller to keep going. “Today, the Tribe lost a promising young cat to greencough. Eagle Bounding over Mountain had unfetterable energy and led her siblings in many games and adventures. She handled herself well when she found the body of a Tribemate and was showing signs of being a good prey-hunter. The Tribe of Rushing Water has lost a valuable member in her death.”

That was all that Light could manage, and she was the one to carry Eagle’s body to be reclaimed by the mountains. Mist, Dust, Claw, Wren, and Wind followed behind, following the tradition of having only blood and chosen family attend reclaiming ceremonies. The sight of Eagle’s body, so small in death, being carried down a stream almost broke Dust’s blank exterior, and she went to find Larchpelt as Quailclaw and Light (who wanted to sleep in the nursery that night) put the other kits to bed. 

“Is it odd,” Dust asked the Clanborn she-cat as they walked in the moonlight, “that I don’t feel like crying? I’m obviously crushed, but I have no need to cry over my daughter’s death.”

Larchpelt shrugged. “When Hollykit and Thrushkit were carried away, my first reaction was to wail and sob, but that quickly faded. I had Elmpaw and Bushpaw to look after and needed to keep going. Gorsewhisker accused me of being stoic and unfeeling, but I certainly still felt terrible. I just didn’t show it.”

“That is what I think is happening now. My kits need me and I can’t fall apart like Light is. I’m also pretty terrible with emotions in general.” Dust flicked her tail. “I didn’t notice during the ceremony how nice it is, despite the chill. Eagle would really have loved it tonight.”

“Mine would have too,” Larchpelt said. “They were born at the foot of the mountains and never knew anything but this. Even while starving and exhausted, they could appreciate the beauty around them.”

“I have a question, if it isn’t too sensitive. What do you think Hollykit and Thrushkit’s warrior names would have been?”

Larchpelt gave Dust a surprised look. “How do you know what a warrior name is?”

“Quailclaw gave me a full rundown on how the Warrior Code and Clans work.”

“That makes sense. I think... Hollykit had sharp senses, eyesight especially, so Hollygaze for her. Thrushkit was my strong, brave little kit. He wanted to be called Thrushlion.”

“Those are great names,” Dust purred. And so the grieving mothers spent the night, soaking in the sights and sharing memories of their children. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make the kits’ reactions to Eagle’s death as realistic as possible.


	13. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ceremonies and issues with Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mention of death by sickness

The next three moons were some of the hardest in Dust’s life. She caught herself wondering where Eagle was early on, then feeling a new wave of grief hit her when she remembered that her kit was dead. She could still function normally, however, and was slowly working through her grief. Light, meanwhile, was throwing herself into her duties and avoiding her family. Lark was getting the benefits of this and completed her training and became a full Tribe member half a moon before her jealous siblings. 

Three of the kits were following Light’s example and making themselves useful; Sun became fluent in sign with Hail’s help and changed her shortened name to Glitter, while Wing and Petal took over to-be’s duties with the elders, who had lost Vine to greencough. It was sad but he had been ancient and could be with his family and mate now. 

Owl had a moon-and-a-half-old daughter that she called Star Shimmering with Soulful Songs, Star for short. The kit had a unique silver, black, and white patched pelt. There was talk of her being a Healer to-be, but Stoneteller had said that he had gotten no sign from the Tribe of Endless Hunting about his daughter. 

Little Star wasn’t having a very fun first few moons of life because of Bird. His anger after Eagle’s death had only grown, and he lashed out at any cat that dared defy his wishes. He seemed to hate Star and Glitter in particular and made constant comments about the younger kit’s pelt color and his sister’s muteness. Dust knew that it was a reaction to grief but had experienced bullying as a kit and to-be for her tail and ears, so was getting sick of her son’s behavior. Even Wren, who had endless patience when it came to kits, was becoming snappish with Bird.

A few sunrises before her kits’ to-be ceremony, Dust asked Stoneteller and Light (with Claw there as an extra guard and witness to the situation) to walk with her and discuss trainers and placements. “I’m especially concerned about two of them. Petal is a born prey-hunter and will do well with any trainer; maybe one that can engage her quick mind.”

“Mist would be a good choice, they haven’t had a to-be since Moon, who’s already expecting her first litter,” Stoneteller said. 

“What about River?” Light suggested. “Yeah, she’s technically an outsider and pretty new to the Tribe but she’s well-respected and quick on her feet.”

“Sure. That’s a good idea.” Dust nodded. “The issue with Glitter is that she’s mute and can’t warn of danger, even though she has the classic build of a cave-guard.”

“I think that she would make a good prey-hunter,” Claw put in. “Hail does fine and she can’t make much noise. Speaking of which, should Hail be Glitter’s trainer?”

“No. Glitter learns best if talked to like she can talk back, and Hail can’t do that.” Light shook her head. “I personally believe that she could be a cave-guard. It’s also what she wants; she’s terrified of the outdoors after Eagle.”

“Shadow is an adaptive cat. She could train Glitter- and they already have a good relationship,” Dust said. 

“Now, Wing is a prey-hunter. He’s fast and is developing powerful back legs.” Light thought for a moment. “Mouse hasn’t had a to-be in many moons.”

“He’s long overdue, I agree,” Stoneteller said. “Now, what is going on with Bird? I have heard horror stories from Owl.”

Dust shook her head. “I am so frustrated with him. He’s always angry and really seems to hate Star, who is a wonderful little kit, and Glitter. His siblings don’t want to be around him and he’s started making comments about my tail. I was practicing my hunting form and stumbled slightly and he loudly proclaimed that my tail threw off my balance. He has the same tail!”

“I understand that he is going through a hard time, but Star is my daughter and I want her to grow up happy. That is why I will not hold Bird’s ceremony back as a punishment.” Stoneteller’s golden eyes were clear and full of love.

“Punishment makes him act out more,” Claw said. “He’d probably run off if you held his ceremony back.”

“Wren would make a great trainer for him. He connects with her,” Light mewed.

“She will not come out of retirement just to train her bellicose grandson. I think that Song should train him. He wants to be a cave-guard and she can handle wild behavior well.” Stoneteller had led the group back to the cave entrance. “I will require that he work with Wren every day on his temper. During their ceremony, I will also be inviting Foxear, Gustfang, Duskflare, and Quailclaw into the Tribe. There is a little too much tension with Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker at the moment to allow them in.”

It was a good decision. At least half the Tribe had voiced their suspicions about the former SkyClan cats’ involvement in Rain’s murder. The other outsiders were fitting in well and were some of the better hunters in Snowfall. Interestingly, Gustfang and Foxear had chosen to become cave-guards.

Two days later, it was time for the ceremony. Bird sat proudly as Dust groomed him, glancing sidelong at Star, who was eagerly watching the older kits. “What are you looking at, Useless? You’ll be carried away as soon as you set foot outside because of your fur. I don’t speak to doomed cats.”

Dust snarled as Star’s ears drooped. “Bird! Light is even more noticeable and she’s perfectly fine. Don’t be needlessly cruel. Grow up, you’re about to become a to-be.”

Owl seemed quite relieved to see Dust move out. The she-cats got along, but Bird’s comments were making Star doubt herself and feel terrible. Meanwhile, Petal, Glitter, and Wing were chatting among themselves excitedly.

_ I hope that I can be a cave-guard. I don’t want to have to kill animals. It’s so mean! _ Glitter signed.  _ Also, the outdoors killed Eagle. I can’t believe that you two want to be prey-hunters! _

“Greencough killed Eagle. There are ways to be safe in the cold,” Dust told her daughter. “Anyway, you will be a cave-guard. I’ll work with you if your trainer can’t get you outside.”

“Dust! The ceremony is now!” Wind hissed from the crowd gathered around Callrock. The kit-mother herded her litter forward into the center, where Quailclaw, Foxear, Gustfang, and a mostly healed Duskflare stood. 

Stoneteller gazed down at the kits. “Dust that Clouds Dream and Light that Breaks Shadows’ litter are ready to begin their training. Petals Falling into Clear Pools and Wing that Clouds Dust have chosen to become prey-hunters. River where Minnows Swim Swiftly, you are new to the Tribe but have proven yourself to be a quick thinker and bright spirit. You will train Petal. Mouse Scampering Over Moss, your last to-be was too long ago and you are a cool-headed, able cat. You will train Wing.”

River looked stunned and delighted to be chosen. She practically skipped up to Petal and touched noses with her new trainee while Mouse approached a bouncy Wing more calmly. His eyes shone with pleasure. 

Stoneteller caught his breath before continuing. “Bird that Whispers Lightly and Sleek Sunray on Glittering Pool, you will be cave-guards. Shadows Falling over Bush, you are a reliable and adaptive cat. You will train Glitter.”

“What?” Bird spat. Glitter looked at her brother, tears of hurt in her eyes. “She can’t be a cave-guard! She’s broken!”

“Your sister is not broken and it is not up to you what she trains as,” Stoneteller snapped. “Now, Song that Calms Storms, you are a bright and patient cat. You will train Bird.”

Song looked apprehensive but made an effort to smile as she touched noses with a glaring Bird. Glitter recovered her excitement when she touched noses with Shadow. “Glitter! Petal! Wing! Bird!” The Tribe cheered.

Stoneteller smiled down. “Wonderful! I have more to do today. Foxear, Duskflare, Quailclaw, and Gustfang have been with us for seven moons and have put aside their Clan loyalties to become a part of the Tribe of Rushing Water. Gustfang, the Tribe of Endless Hunting honors your steadiness and humor. You are now a cave-guard by the name of Gust of Fanged Wind. Foxear, the Tribe of Rushing Water honors your energy and maturity. You are now a cave-guard by the name of Fox Springing over Creek. Duskflare, the Tribe of Rushing Water honors your loyalty and intelligence. You are now a prey-hunter by the name of Shade of Clear Dusk. Quailclaw, the Tribe of Rushing Water honors your adaptability and sensitivity. You are now a prey-hunter by the name of Quail that Flies High.”

“Gust! Fox! Shade! Quail!” Dust noted that only Cry, Gorsewhisker, and Lighting refrained from cheering. 

Dust watched her kits race off with their trainers with amusement. Quail approached her, happiness shining in his eyes. “Let’s go make nests in the prey-hunters’ den!” He purred. The former kit-mother nodded, fully ready to get back to her duties. 


	14. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A patrol, an attack and another discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: violence, slight gore, injury, death of a child

The Snowfall wind was bitter and cold, but the newly risen sun gave the cloudless sky a lovely golden-blue color. Dust was on a hunting patrol the morning after her kits had become to-bes and enjoying herself immensely. Mist, Shine, Wind, and Bush were with her.

“Ha! I’m faster than you!” Bush crowed as he raced past. That wasn’t a surprise; he was one of the fastest cats in the Tribe as a to-be. 

“I smell a rabbit. Dust, go for it,” Mist said. The brown-and-white tabby had scented it too, and raced off towards a rare bush. The rabbit ran but wasn’t fast enough. Dust’s jaws came down on its neck and it fell still.

“Nice! Your first prey in a long time,” Wind purred. “Scrawny, but no animal has enough to eat on this mountain during Snowfall.”

“Let’s keep moving!” Shine said cheerfully. “We have quite a lot of mouths to feed.”

The patrol continued to hunt throughout the morning. Dust was happy to find that her hunting skills were still up to par, but she got tired quickly and was panting to keep up after two hours while the others seemed fine. 

“Sorry,” she gasped the third time the pace forced her to rest. “I needed to walk more- after the kits were weaned.”

“It’s not a problem,” Mist assured her. “Do you remember how long it took me to get back into shape after my leg injury? It was so frustrating! At least you can hunt.”

Dust shrugged; her sibling was probably right. That didn’t stop her from apologizing for her exhaustion the rest of the patrol, though. Bush was just realizing that it wasn’t just to-bes that had self-esteem issues and was staring at the former kit-mother, his world suddenly a little wider.

An eagle’s cry was the only sign they had of trouble. Shine cried out as talons latched into her back, lifting her off the ground. Bush froze as Dust and Mist leapt up to claw at the bird’s sides and Wind charged it from the front. The eagle dropped a stunned Shine and clawed at the tom, sinking its talons deep into his face. Mist clambered onto its back and killed it with a bite to the neck.

Dust rushed over to Wind, who was wailing in agony and writhing on the ground. “Keep still! I need to look at your wounds. Mist and Bush, go get help! Be careful of other birds and  _ don’t  _ let Claw come.”

Shine limped over, horrified, staring at her agonized Tribemate. “What can I do?”

“Get cobwebs. I know only the basics, but I think that I can slow his bleeding.” Dust turned Wind over onto his back, whispering soothing words. The eagle had scored deep wounds into his face, through both eyes and leading down to his neck. “That’s... quite severe. Wind, you need to calm down. I know it hurts.”

“You have- no idea!” Wind managed to hiss. He did stop struggling

“I’ve given birth and almost bled out. I understand what severe pain feels like. Can you talk without hurting more?”

“Slowly,” the injured tom gasped. “I can’t see. Are my eyelids open?”

“They’re torn,” Dust said honestly. “Your eyes are badly scratched, so no wonder you can’t see. Oh, Shine, thank you. I’m going to put cobwebs over your wounds, all right?”

Wind’s reply was drowned out by a horrified yell. Shadow, Glitter, and Fox were exploring the territory and had heard the commotion. 

“Is Stoneteller coming?” Shadow asked, blocking Glitter’s view of the injuries. “What happened?”

“An eagle tried to take me, and he got clawed. Mist killed it, and she-  _ they  _ and Bush are getting a Healer. Light’s in better shape so she’s probably coming,” Shine said for Dust, who was carefully applying the cobwebs. It took a few minutes for Light to appear, led by Mist and Bush. The beautiful she-cat’s eyes widened, then she was in leader mode. 

“Right. Shine, you’re hurt too so walk alone. Dust and Mist, carry the eagle back to the cave. Bush and Petal, take the other prey your patrol caught. Shadow and Fox,  _ very gently _ take Wind and be careful of his head.”

The trip back to the cave took a little too long for Dust’s liking. She signaled for a shocked Glitter to walk beside her. The situation worsened when Claw saw his mate’s condition and let out a wail, obviously distressing Wind. Dust and Mist dropped the eagle off at the prey-pile, ignoring their wide-eyed Tribemates, and raced to support their brother (not before Glitter’s mother told her to go see Quail). 

Claw was inconsolable. “How could this happen?” He sobbed for the fifth time in as many minutes.

“The eagle was hungry and tried to take Shine. Wind was in its talon-reach and got hurt.” Mist was normally bright and cheery, but could be serious and sympathetic when she had to be. Dust’s jealousy over their sibling’s empathic abilities rose up, but she shook it off. This moment was about Claw.

“Hey! Dust!” Bird bounded up cheerfully. “I did so great in training today! Song says that I’m the best to-be she’s ever had.

“That’s great,” Mist told him. “Can you tell her about this later?”

“Why? I’ll be doing something else later.” Bird didn’t seem to notice that Claw was curled up on the ground, crying miserably, or that the other two had streaks of blood on them. “Hey, that eagle in the prey-pile is really good. Who caught it?”

Claw let out a snarl at the reminder and Dust gave him a sharp look. “You ate before feeding kit-mothers and elders? You know the rules.”

“I was hungry! And the elders didn’t look hungry. Besides, why would I ever bring food to Useless? She’s pathetic.”

“ _ Star  _ is a kit and needs to eat just as much as you do. I will speak with Song about this. Now, please go tell your siblings how well you did. I can’t talk right now.” Dust gazed at her son, who looked entirely dissatisfied with her answer.

“But Dust!” Bird protested. “Don’t you want to spend time with me? You never do!”

“We were sleeping in the same den two days ago!” Dust snapped. “ _ Leave _ , Bird! Talk to  _ any other cat _ !”

Bird’s eyes filled with hurt and anger, and Dust knew that she had messed up. But that was a crisis for the future and Claw was devastated right at that moment. She and Mist stayed with him all day and halfway through the night, gently waving away well-wishers, until an exhausted Light appeared from the Healer’s den. 

“He’s stable and will live. His eyesight is ruined, but he will live.”

“He’s blind?” Claw whimpered. He began to panic again, dashing away. Mist somehow had the energy to follow. 

Dust blinked at Light. “Go sleep. I’ll stay with Wind. Also, I yelled at Bird and he probably hates me now. He also ate prey before the kit-mothers, Star and the elders and called Star ‘Useless.’”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Light said with an aggravated sigh. “You can take my nest- it’s right by Wind’s- and I’ll take yours. Please sleep, you look terrible.”

The blood-splattered tabby snorted at her mate’s parting words and padded quietly into the den, trying not to wake a slumbering Stoneteller. Wind was fast asleep and Dust soon joined him.

Stoneteller woke Dust the next morning when Wind regained consciousness. “He’s awake. I just redid his bandages. There’s an issue in the cave that I have to deal with.” He slipped away, and Dust focused her attention onto Wind. He looked horrible; the cuts were clean and the full damage could be seen. Half of the skin on his face had stripped away and his eyes were clearly totally dead. 

“How’s Claw doing?” Wind murmured, thinking of his mate first as usual. 

“He didn’t react well to your injuries. I hope that Mist got him to rest. How are  _ you  _ feeling?” 

“My cuts hurt. I can’t see, which I’ll have to get used to. I’m happy that Shine is all right. I heard Stoneteller say that she needs to rest for a while but she will recover with only a few scars.” Wind was drowsy, yawning several times as he spoke. “I think Stoneteller gave me a poppy seed. Thank you for staying with me last night- and for helping Claw.”

“He’s my brother, and so are you. I will do what I have to for my family.” Dust shrugged. “You go back to sleep now. If Claw can pull himself together, he’ll be here when you wake. I need to go see what’s happening.” She left Wind peacefully sleeping and entered the main cave, where Shadow, Dive, his mother Maple, and Fire were crouched over a still figure. 

“The murderer got Midnight this morning,” Light said quietly, coming up beside her mate. “Same way Rain was killed. The scent of a tom this time. Shadow says that she’ll talk to you but snapped at Larchpelt when she tried to offer support.”

Dust sighed. “It’s just one tragedy after another, isn’t it? I’ll go speak to Shadow. Are you going to interview the Tribe?”

“Yes. We need to catch these murderers,” Light said bitterly. “Before they cause any more grief.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is only going to be a few more chapters:  
> A) I’ve reached a good ending in my planning  
> B) School will start in September and I don’t want three stories to have to deal with as well  
> C) My Hunger Games story is going to be really long and it takes a lot of focus and world-building  
> D) I’ve struggled to find inspiration for this one lately  
> E) The ending will be exciting still- probably bittersweet


	15. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! It’s a little rough, but it feels good to actually finish something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warining: grief, violence, death

Dust was making her way down to Shadow when Mouse caught up with her. “Are you going to comfort her?”

“I’ll try,” Dust said. “She might be willing to talk to you as well.”

The prey-hunters weaved their way through the crowd of grieving cats. “How is Wing doing?” Dust asked, voice low, as they waited for the cats around Shadow to disperse.

“Well! He’s quick and will be deadly when he’s trained.” Mouse was clearly pleased but kept the emotion down in respect and secondhand grief.

Shadow seemed overwhelmed when her former denmate and the brown-and-gray tom approached. “If you’re here to apologize to me, don’t bother unless you actually killed my son.”

“Shadow! They’re trying to be nice and show sympathy!” Dive hissed at his former mate. They had split up when their kits were only three moons old and didn’t get along. Dust didn’t like Dive too much; he had always been hostile towards her. 

Now, Shadow simply gave him a tired look as Maple glared at her son. “I can do what I want.”

“Would you like to walk with us? We’ll be back in time for the wake,” Mouse offered. Shadow nodded gratefully and licked a devastated Fire’s ear before walking away from her son’s body.

“There has been so much death lately,” Dust said as they exited the cave into the cool air. The last snowfall of the season had fallen the night before, and there was a light dusting of crunchy snow. “F0ur cats, two adults, in one season, two murdered!”

Mouse shook his head. “I felt worse last Snowfall, obviously, because Fade, and Falcon died, but this is pretty bad.”

“Tell me about it.” Shadow swiped at the air, teeth bared in a snarl. “How could any cat kill Midnight? He was so young!”

“It’s horrible.” Dust sighed. “The murders don’t seem to make logical sense, either. Maybe the killers went for cats by the tunnels? But what would Midnight be doing there? He was a careful cat.”

“Whatever the reason, that killer is going down,” snarled Shadow. 

Dust found herself only half-concentrating on the conversation. She was thinking about how Shadow at least had an answer for Midnight’s death. Eagle had been an adventurous kit who wanted to see the outside that her mothers talked about constantly. Who was at fault for her sickness and death? Dust still felt guilty over it but also knew that none of her other kits- even Bird, who had been reckless from the start- had shown any sign of sneaking out into the cold. Mouse and Hail’s litter were born weak in a particularly cold Snowfall that had also killed an elder, Dust, Claw, and Mist’s father Rock that Sticks to Mountain. Faded Moss on Stone and Falcon Diving over Cliff had died quickly, just like Eagle. There was no set cause to the kits’ deaths. 

Shadow would have her answer sooner than she expected. The little group got back to the cave to find Light and Stoneteller facing off with a ruffled Gorsewhisker. Fire ran to her mother. “He doesn’t have an excuse for where he was! Do you think that he killed Midnight?” 

“Let’s find out,” Shadow replied tersely. 

“We’re not accusing you of anything, Gorsewhisker. We just want to know if you have a reasonable alibi and cats to back it up.” Stoneteller’s voice was steady and his calm dark golden eyes were locked on Gorsewhisker’s crazed ones, just shades lighter. 

“I was walking by myself! That’s allowed, isn’t it?”

Light curled her lip. “No, actually. Stoneteller said it moons ago and has repeated it many times. It’s how _every other cat_ has an alibi, because they were all with each other and nowhere near the tunnels.”

“So you think that I killed Midnight!” Dust noticed that Larchpelt was sending her mate panicked looks. 

“Nervous, Larchpelt? Do you want to claim that you were with him and make him look worse?” Dust’s sneer took the Tribe by surprise but gave Larchpelt away because the she-cat jumped in fear and let out a muttered excuse. The tension in the cave rose another notch.

“Make _me_ look worse? All right, I killed the apprentice, he was getting too suspicious, but she killed Rain!”

Gasps rang out, and both Cry and Shadow moved, but the Clan cats attacked each other first. Light couldn’t separate them and jumped back in horror when a pale gray paw slit her nose open before latching into dark tabby fur. The fight was short but bloody; at the end, Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker were torn apart, with many wounds. They were dead. 

The shock wore off after a moment, and then Dust ran over to Light’s side. Bush and Dusk huddled together, staring blankly at the bodies of their parents.

“I’m fine,” Light murmured. “It’s not bad. Dust, the kits are probably so confused right now...”

“I‘ll talk to them. You going over there with a destroyed nose will just scare them more.” Dust sent her mate away with a gentle push. “Pull yourself together. Stoneteller has this situation in paw for now.”

Glitter and Petal were standing by the to-be den, looking lost. Wing was near Mouse while Bird stood alone, quiet for once, ears down in confusion and fear. Dust called her kits over and they came quickly.

“Is it over?” Petal asked softly. “Are the murderers gone?”

“Yes, dear. They’re gone.” The prey-hunter smiled and pulled her daughter close to her side. “You don’t need to worry about them anymore.”

“They killed each other,” Bird said numbly. “Why would they even do that? That’s just weird.”

“I agree,” Wing chimed in. 

_They were angry, maybe?_ Glitter signed, confusion clear in her dark blue eyes.

“I don’t understand why they would do that. It’s hard to understand why they would kill Rain and Midnight in the first place,” Dust admitted. “Are you all doing all right? Do you need to talk to Wren? She’s really good at working through issues.”

“Y-yeah. I’ll go do that,” Petal said, and walked towards the elders’ den. Glitter and Wing f0llowed, leaving Bird and Dust alone.

“Why did you snap at me yesterday?” The to-be asked. “It really hurt my feelings. I just want to be understood and heard, and you’ve been ignoring me since Eagle... died.” His voice broke.

Dust flicked her tail with slight anxiety. “I was trying to comfort Claw, who was upset because Wind got hurt. I didn’t mean to snap and do want to listen to you, it was just a really bad time for us to talk. It came across as insensitive and rude.”

“I’ve been trying to be better. I know that Star was miserable when we were in the nursery and I’ve been nicer to her, but she’s scared of me now and Owl doesn’t like me.” Bird really did seem serious about changing his actions, and Dust’s heart warmed at the development he was showing. 

“Keep working on it. Star is young and will forgive you. And if she doesn’t completely, that’s okay too. You don’t need to be best friends with every cat. I barely talk to half the Tribe and I’m content with the friends and family that I have.”

Dust and Bird’s heart-to-heart was interrupted by a call from Stoneteller. Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker’s bodies had been moved from the center of the cave, where most of the Tribe was gathered. Even the newly blinded Wind (with Claw and Mist supporting his every movement) was there. 

“Gust, Quail, and Shade are going to reveal why they were banished to clear the air,” Stoneteller announced. “They have told me that Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker were banished because they killed two Clanmates, the warrior Leafshine and his pregnant sister, Goldenclaw. Only Gust knew of this and was under severe threat not to say anything.”

Quail stepped forward. “I had a mate- a tom- and because a same-sex couple had turned against the Clan with deadly results before, my leader only approved of tom-she-cat couples, so we had to hide. He was killed in a fight and I reacted too badly for him to have been just a friend. So she exiled me.”

Murmurs of sympathy rose up from the Tribe. Quail paused before continuing, fighting down emotion. “I never knew anything about Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker’s past or that they were the murderers.”

Fox was next. “Gust, River, and I were banished together, actually. We were born in the same moon and had a rivalry, so I snuck into their camp one night and put ants in their nests. They retaliated. This continued for two moons until I was caught in RiverClan territory. Gust felt guilty enough to admit what he and River had been doing, so Pikestar exiled us together. I didn’t know about the murder plot.”

“I never liked Gorsewhisker, but I never thought that he could kill a cat, and a queen at that,” River said, shaking her head. 

Gust shifted his paws before speaking, uncomfortable with how many cats were staring at him. “I overheard Larchpelt and Gorsewhisker arguing the night after she killed Rain. They sensed me and threatened me with harsh enough punishments that I didn’t say anything. I’m so sorry, Shadow, I should have worked through the fear and reported them.”

Shadow looked at the white tom with clear eyes. “It’s not your fault. You feared for your life. I forgive you.” 

Gust ducked his head in relief and gratefulness as a shaky Shade began to speak. The ginger tom was obviously struggling with his past. “So, my- I was always jealous of my sister Flamepaw. She’s the apple of my parents’ eye, the golden cat, the one who does everything right and is so talented. The one thing she doesn’t have, though, is a special connection with StarClan. I decided to fake a sign that ShadowClan was going to attack us, and managed to convince the medicine cat, Longwhisker, and the leader, Runningstar, that it was real. They attacked ShadowClan’s camp and three of my Clanmates died. A- a ShadowClan kit, Lynxkit, was also killed. Longwhisker spoke to StarClan and found out that I was lying, so a furious Runningstar exiled me. I will never live that down.” Shame overtook him and he broke off, crying in regret.

Stoneteller studied the former Clan cats. “Quail, loving a tom is not a crime. You did nothing wrong and should have been able to stay in ThunderClan. Fox, Gust, and River, you were foolish but did no harm except to each other. Shade, it’s obvious that you deeply regret your actions. You will not be punished any more than you have.”

Over the next six moons, the Tribe relaxed from the fear of murder. Fire (who was non-binary like Swift, Yew, and Mist) became a full Tribe member, followed by Bush and Dusk half a moon later. Moon gave birth to two kits, a tom named Night of Long Snowfall and Hope that Brings life in accordance to the changing seasons. Prey began to run well and the growing Tribe finally had enough food. Wind slowly re-learned to walk with plenty of help from Claw and was on his way to recovery. Bird made a concerted effort to change and though he still had a temper, he was much more pleasant to be around, even becoming closer with Star (who was now a to-be, training as a cave-guard under Feather). Littermates Dawn and Cloud joined the elders after many moons of service to the Tribe. Quail, Fox, Shade, and Dusk left their pasts behind and fit in. 

Dust was proud when Wing told the Tribe that she was not a tom, but a she-cat. Lark found enough courage to reveal that he was a tom, and both were pleased when they were accepted as they were without question. Stoneteller ruled that Light should become a full Healer, something that had never been done before, but he said that she was an inspired leader and a great healer. Light took the honor with grace and settled into the role well. 

Light and Dust became proud parents to four full Tribe members, the yellow-and-black Healer leading the ceremony with warmth, pride, and love. Eagle’s loss was a hard one but the family learned to move on and live their lives without her. Wing, Petal, Bird, and Glitter completed their training with flying colors. Glitter was especially happy, because she managed to train well as a mute cat. She became the first mute cave-guard in the Tribe of Rushing Water’s history. 

All wasn’t perfect, but normal. There would be more hardship to come, Dust knew, but the Tribe was strong and ready to face it. 


	16. Final Allegiances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank ReadingEvee and cloudpool for commenting on this story. It really helped me continue it for as long as I did.

**Tribe of Rushing Water**

**Healers:** Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller)- silver tabby tom with golden eyes

Light that Breaks Shadows (Light)- yellow-and-black she-cat with soft fur and green eyes, jagged scar on muzzle

**Prey-Hunters:** Wind When Night Falls (Wind)- lean gray tom with black underbelly and long claws, blind, scarred yellow eyes

Dust that Clouds Dream (Dust)- brown-and-white tabby she-cat with short fur, yellow eyes, large ears, and bent tail

Fire Blazing Through Ivy (Fire)- ginger cat 

Mouse Scampering Over Moss (Mouse)- brown-and gray tom, scarred

_To-be, Wing that Clouds Dust_

Lightning that Makes Fire (Lightning)- ginger tabby tom

Mist on Tall Rock (Mist)- dark gray tabby cat with yellow eyes, large ears, and a long tail

Shade of Clear Dusk- blue-eyed pale ginger (with darker flecks) tom with a permanent limp

Wing that Clouds Dust (Wing)- small yellow-and-black she-cat with dark amber eyes and long tail

Petals Falling into Clear Pools (Petal)- soft-furred calico she-cat with brown patches and dark green eyes

Hail When Wind Howls (Hail)- white she-cat, deaf

Owl that Flies Silently (Owl)- black-and-white she-cat

Dusk of Dark Sun- small dark brown she-cat

Bush where Holly Grows (Bush)- small light brown tom

Cloud When Sun Shines with Flames (Cloud)- ginger tom

Dappled Shadows on Leafy Ground (Dapple)- dappled pale brown tom

Creek that Runs Swiftly (Creek)- blue-gray tom

Swift Breeze that Carries Spider (Swift)- long-legged black cat

River where Minnows Swim Swiftly (River)- glossy-furred gray-and-white she-cat

**Cave-guards:** Claws of Snarling Wolf (Claw)- large dark brown-and-white tom with amber eyes

Stream Running Through Stones (Stream)- silver tom

Sleek Sunray on Glittering Pool (Glitter)- mute golden she-cat with white underbelly, paws, tail-tip, ears, and muzzle, dark blue eyes, and brittle fur

Dive of Screeching Eagle (Dive)- ginger tom

Cry that Pierces the Day (Cry)- blind calico tom 

Feather Balancing on Leaf (Feather)- fluffy pale ginger she-cat

_To-be, Star Shimmering with Soulful Songs_

Song that Calms Storm (Song)- gray she-cat

Gust of Fanged Wind- white tom with green eyes

Bird that Whispers Lightly (Bird)- pale brown tom with black spots and yellow eyes, short fur, bent tail, and large ears

Fox Springing over Creek (Fox)- black-and-white tom

Lark Flying over Clouds (Lark)- dark brown tom

Cliff Looming Over Valley (Cliff)- spiky-furred dark gray tabby tom

Thrush who Sings During Blizzard (Thrush)- white tom, missing half of tail

**To-be(s):** Star Shimmering with Soulful Songs (Star)- silver, white, and black she-cat

**Kit-mothers:** Moon that Illuminates Heather (Moon)- creamy silver and black she-cat, mother to Night of Long Snowmelt (Night, black tom with white paws, underbelly, ears, and tail-tip) and Hope that Brings Life (Hope, creamy silver tabby she-kit)

**Elders:** Vine that Grows on Rock (Vine)- gray tabby tom

Wren Singing at Dawn (Wren)- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Yew that Blooms on Bush (Yew)- spiky-furred silvery-gray cat with black markings, brown underbelly, and silver eyes

Dawn of Cloudless Morning (Dawn)- beautiful red she-cat, twisted jaw

Cloud When Sun Shines with Flames (Cloud)- ginger tom


End file.
